iBS 


JAPAN 


■ "V 


pmm, 


HELEN  BARRETT  MONTGOMERY 


OUR  NEIGHBOR  JAPAN 


A Book  for  Adult  Classes 
in  the  Sunday  School 


By 

Helen  Barrett  Montgomery 


1917 


Prepared  for  the 

American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society 

and  the 

Woman’s  American  Baptist  Foreign 
Mission  Society 


PRINTED  BY 

The  Vermont  Printing  Company 
Brattleboro,  Vt. 


THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  JAPAN 


AREA 

POPULATION 

□ □ 

□ □ 

□ □ 

□ □ 

POPULATION 
□ OF 

□ 

□ 

□ 

□ 

AREA 

□ THE 

□ 

□ 

□ 

□ 

OF 

AREA 

UNITED 

□ □ 

□ □ 

□ □ 

□ □ 

THE  D 

OF 

STATES 

□ 

□ 

□ 

□ 

UNITED 

JAPAN 

□ □ 

□ □ 

□ □ 

□ □ 

STATES 

Q POPULATION 
OF  JAPAN 

□ 

□ 

□ 

□ 

Let  forty  little  boxes  represent 

the  area  of  the 

Half  as  many  people 
live  in  Japan’s  one  box 
as  live  in  our  forty. 

United  States, 
of  Japan. 

One  of  them  would  equal  the  area 

OUR  SHARE  AT  HOME  AND  IN  JAPAN 


UNITED  STATES 

Northern  Baptists  number 

1.500.000. 

Northern  Baptists  equal  one- 
sixteenth  of  Protestants. 

Protestant  communicants  equal 
one  in  four  of  the  population. 

Ministers  number  one  to  five 
hundred  of  population. 

1,500,000  Baptists  have  as  their 
share  of  the  unevangelized 

5.000. 000. 

Here  we  have  1 1 ,000  churches, 
pastors,  Sunday  Schools,  with  free 
schools,  libraries,  philanthropies 
and  Christian  tradition  to  help. 

For  our  task  in  America  we  give 
$18,000,000. 


JAPAN 

Japanese  Baptists  number  4,292. 

Japanese  Baptists  equal  one- 
twentieth  of  Protestants. 

Protestant  communicants  equal 
one  in  five  hundred. 

One  Protestant  Missionary  to 
60,000  people;  one  native  Pastor 
to  40,000. 

4,292  Baptists  and  58  Mission- 
aries have  as  their  share  of  the 
Non-Christians  5,000,000. 

Here  a handful  against  old  en- 
trenched religions,  superstitions, 
idolatry,  with  almost  no  Christian 
traditions  to  help. 

For  our  task  in  Japan  we  give 
$130,000. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  I.  The  Land  and  the  People  ....  7 

Reasons  for  studying  Japan 7 

Outlines  of  the  present  study 8 

The  land  of  Japan 8 

The  people  of  Japan 9 

Japanese  characteristics 10 

The  story  of  Japan 12 

The  closing  of  Japan 13 

The  opening  of  Japan 14 

Changes  and  progress 15 

Questions  for  class  use 17 

Chapter  II.  How  Christianity  Came  ....  18 

What  Christianity  found 18 

The  missionary  task 21 

The  seed  sowing 22 

Centuries  of  seclusion 23 

Heralds  of  the  dawn 25 

First  Protestant  missionaries 26 

Questions 27 

Chapter  III.  How  Christianity  Grew  ...  30 

The  second  planting 30 

Disabilities  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  ...  30 

Influences  favoring  Protestantism 31 

Periods  in  growth  of  Protestant  missions  •••  33- 

Evidences  of  growth 38 

Land  yet  to  be  possessed  42 

Ability  of  American  churches 43 

Questions 44 


Chapter  IV.  Our  Baptist  Task 45 

Early  on  the  field  45 

Subsequent  growth 47 

Nature  of  the  work 48 

Statistics 48 

Weaknesses 49 

Outstanding  features 50 

Pressing  needs 54 

A challenge 58 

Questions 60 

Brief  Book  List 61 

Periodical  and  Pamphlet  Helps 62 


FOREWORD 


The  four  studies  contained  in  this  book  are  adapted  for 
use  in  organized  classes  in  the  Sunday  school  which  may  be 
able  to  undertake  mission  study  during  the  period  set 
apart  for  the  presentation  of  foreign  missions  in  the  Sunday 
school,  viz.,  the  three  months  preceding  Easter.  The 
book,  however,  may  advantageously  be  studied  at  any 
time  during  the  year.  It  is  hoped,  also,  that  it  will  be 
used  extensively  by  men’s  classes  and  brotherhoods. 

Eight  charts  with  five-minute  lessons  to  accompany 
them  have  been  furnished  to  those  Sunday  schools  willing 
to  use  them  during  the  eight  weeks  preceding  Easter. 
A demand  was  made  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  organized 
classes  for  material  that  would  use  the  lesson  period 
during  several  weeks.  The  four  chapters  of  the  present 
book,  which  have  been  prepared  to  meet  this  demand, 
are  adapted  to  be  used  either  as  four  successive  half-hour 
lessons,  or  once  a month  for  four  months,  or  in  eight 
fifteen-minute  periods  preceding  the  regular  lesson.  The 
most  effective  way  of  using  the  material  is  to  devote  a 
month  or  six  weeks  to  its  exclusive  presentation. 

The  presentation  is  necessarily  very  brief.  It  is  hoped 
that  outside  reading  may  be  recommended  in  order  to 
deepen  the  impression  made. 

Illustrative  material  will  be  found  in  current  numbers  of 
The  Baptist  Teacher,  Missions,  Gleanings  and  the  denomi- 
national press. 


5 


6 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


A copy  of  the  text-book  should  be  in  the  hands  of  each 
member  of  the  class,  if  real  work  is  attempted. 

Maps  may  be  made,  a list  of  books  accumulated,  the 
co-operation  of  the  public  library  secured,  pictures  gathered 
from  periodicals.  The  National  Geographic  Magazine  has 
some  beautiful  Japanese  views.  Files  of  Missions  are 
valuable.  A collection  of  twenty-nine  Orient  Pictures 
of  Japan  may  be  purchased  for  twenty-five  cents  from  the 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society,  Ford  Building, 
Boston,  Mass.  From  the  same  place,  for  twenty-five 
cents,  may  be  procured  The  Handbook , which  gives  all  the 
missionary  statistics  of  the  past  year  and  brief  accounts  of 
every  station. 


OUR  NEIGHBOR  JAPAN 


CHAPTER  I. 

JAPAN:  THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

I.  Reasons  for  Studying  Japan. 

There  are  at  least  five  reasons  why  every  intelligent 
person  should  desire  to  be  informed  about  Japan. 

1.  Japan  is  one  of  the  great  world  powers  of  the  present 
age.  By  her  army  and  navy,  her  great  manufacturing 
enterprise,  her  dominance  in  the  commerce  of  the  Pacific, 
her  part  in  the  World  War,  her  international  relation- 
ships, Japan  has  won  her  place  as  equal  among  the  fore- 
most nations  of  the  globe. 

2.  Japan  is  our  nearest  neighbor  on  the  West.  The  big 
oceans  are  rapidly  becoming  the  ferries  of  commerce. 
When  we  think  in  terms  of  the  world,  Japan  and  America 
are  somewhat  in  the  same  relation  to  each  other  as  New 
York  and  Brooklyn.  They  are  bound  to  trade  together, 
to  travel  each  in  the  other’s  country  and  to  be  united  by 
a thousand  ties  of  common  interest. 

3.  Japan  is  the  leader  among  Oriental  nations.  Only 
one  Oriental  people  has  definitely  stepped  out  into  modern 
industrialism,  constitutional  government,  and  applied 
science.  Japan  has  adopted  western  civilization,  made 
it  her  own,  and  proved  her  ability  to  live  under  the  modern 
type  of  political,  economic  and  social  organization.  Japan’s 
success  in  playing  the  western  nations’  game  according 
to  the  rules  has  made  her  the  most  influential  people  in 


7 


8 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


Asia.  She  is  destined  for  at  least  a generation  to  mould 
the  ideas  and  aspirations  of  that  half  of  the  human  race 
who  live  in  the  Orient. 

4.  There  is  wide-spread  ignorance  and  misunderstanding 
about  Japan.  A tissue  of  falsehoods,  prejudices  and  mis- 
understandings in  regard  to  Japan  has  been  woven  together 
in  this  country.  If  not  removed  this  is  powerful  to  work 
harm  to  both  countries.  It  is  our  business  to  know  the 
facts  about  Japan  in  order  that  we  may  combat  the 
mischievous  delusions  so  prevalent  in  regard  to  her  people 
and  their  aims  and  characteristics. 

5.  Japan  is  one  of  the  strongholds  to  be  won  for  Christ  in 
his  conquest  of  the  world.  Every  intelligent  Christian 
must  covet  the  conversion  of  the  Japanese  people  to  Christ. 
Japan  won  could  win  the  Orient.  Japan  could  interpret 
Christ  to  other  Oriental  people.  Japan  presents  one  of  the 
clamant  opportunities  for  missionary  service  in  the  world. 

II.  Outlines  of  the  Present  Study. 

We  shall  study  first,  the  land  and  the  people;  second, 
the  story  of  the  introduction  of  Christianity;  third,  the 
progress  of  Christian  missions  in  Japan;  fourth,  the  part 
played  and  to  be  played  by  Baptist  missions.  A chapter 
will  be  devoted  to  each  of  these  topics. 

III.  The  Land  of  Japan. 

1.  Beauty.  Some  countries  are  just  land;  others  have 
charm.  Japan  belongs  to  the  group  of  countries  that  are 
supremely  beautiful,  and  fitted  by  nature  to  allure  and 
stimulate  human  genius.  The  sea,  the  mountains,  the 
forest  are  all  needed  for  the  noblest  beauty.  Japan’s 
broken  coast  line  is  like  that  of  Greece  in  its  perpetual 


Japan:  The  Land  and  The  People 


9 


summons  to  the  daring  of  the  sailor,  in  its  facilitating  of 
commerce  and  travel,  in  its  bewildering  beauty. 

Rimmed  round  by  the  sea  that  interlocks  the  land  in  a 
thousand  bays  and  harbors,  Japan  is  overtopped  by  the 
pure  cone  of  snow-capped  mountains.  The  beauty  of 
Fujiyama  has  sunk  into  the  soul  of  a race  and  made  them 
artists.  The  pines  that  live  on  the  mountains  and  whisper 
of  the  sea  are  everywhere  in  Japan.  A beautiful  land, 
rich  enough  for  support,  difficult  enough  for  hardihood, 
protected  by  the  seas  and  overshadowed  by  the  mountains, 
a land  flower-crowned  like  Athens — such  is  Japan. 

2.  Area.  The  three  thousand  and  more  islands  that 
make  up  the  Japanese  Empire  are  about  equal  in  area  to 
the  state  of  California.  Because  of  the  ever-present  moun- 
tains, but  a small  portion  of  Japan’s  area  is  under  cultiva- 
tion: fourteen  per  cent,  as  against  twenty-three  per  cent  in 
England  and  fifty-five  per  cent  in  France. 

3.  Population.  Much  of  the  land  is  too  mountainous 
to  be  arable,  yet  it  supports  a population  of  53,000,000 
with  a density  of  about  350.  Compared  with  that  of  the 
United  States  which  is  twenty-seven  to  the  square  mile, 
and  again  with  South  America  with  its  seven  to  the  square 
mile,  the  contrast  is  startling.  It  is  because  this  very  large 
population  is  trying  to  live  on  a cultivated  area  half  the 
size  of  Ohio  that  the  people  are  poor  and  groaning  under 
taxes:  taxes  on  land,  house,  inheritance,  income,  bicycles, 
autos,  wagons,  railway  tickets,  street-car  tickets.  In 
some  cases  half  the  family  income  goes  to  pay  taxes. 

IV.  The  People  of  Japan. 

1.  A Mixed  Race.  The  Japanese  are  a mixed  race — 
Mongolian  and  Malay  almost  certainly,  with  all  sorts  of 


Jo  Our  Neighbor  Japan 

learned  conjectures  as  to  the  presence  of  other  strains, 
not  even  omitting  the  Anglo-Saxon.  It  is  especially  inter- 
esting to  note  that  the  Egyptians,  the  Greeks,  the  Romans 
and  the  English — all  imperial  peoples,  have  been  formed 
by  the  blending  of  many  races,  and  that  the  same  mysteri- 
ous process  is  now  taking  place  on  a vast  scale  in  our  own 
country. 

2.  A Young  Race.  The  Japanese  traditions  make  them 
out  an  old  race;  but  modern  historical  criticism  has  com- 
pelled the  consignment  of  much  of  their  so-called  history 
to  the  realm  of  myth,  and  has  proved  that  the  Japanese 
are  among  the  youngest  of  the  great  races  of  the  present. 
The  Chinese  and  the  Koreans  are  ancient  peoples;  long 
established  on  their  lands.  The  Japanese  race  is  still 
adolescent,  it  being  doubtful  whether  the  real  history  of  the 
Japanese  as  an  organized  nation  in  their  present  habitat 
runs  back  of  the  Christian  era. 

3.  Aborigines.  The  remnants  of  the  aboriginal  people 
of  Japan  still  live  in  the  northern  islands  which  make  up 
the  Hokkaido.  These  people  are  called  Ainu  and  number 
less  than  twenty  thousand. 

V.  Japanese  Characteristics. 

1.  The  Japanese  are  an  exceedingly  gifted  race.  In  com- 
petition with  Europeans  in  the  leading  universities  of  the 
world  they  carry  off  their  full  share  of  the  honors. 

2.  They  are  perhaps  the  best  racial  example  of  open- 
mindedness.  They  have  never  been  afraid  of  a new  custom 
or  a new  idea.  From  China  and  Korea  they  have  borrowed 
freely,  letters,  industries,  philosophies,  religions.  They 
are  now  borrowing  from  the  West.  But  when  they  have 
found  something  better  than  their  own  they  straightway 


Japan:  The  Land  and  The  People 


ii 


adopt  and  assimilate  and  put  upon  the  borrowed  better 
thing  their  own  unmistakable  imprint. 

3.  One  of  the  marked  national  traits  is  loyalty.  This 
is  their  basic  virtue.  A passionate,  deathless  loyalty  to 
country.  One  of  the  stock  objections  to  Christianity  has 
lain  in  the  fear  that  devotion  to  Christ  would  weaken 
loyalty  to  Emperor  and  country.  A remarkable  example 
of  Japanese  loyalty  was  found  in  the  survival  through  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  of  persecution  and  proscription 
of  some  thousands  of  Roman  Catholic  Christians.  In 
utter  secrecy  from  father  to  son  the  Christian  rites  and 
beliefs  were  passed  along  until  the  re-entrance  of  Chris- 
tianity at  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 

4.  Another  marked  trait  is  the  concealing  of  emotion. 
Pain  is  to  be  borne  in  silence;  affection  is  not  to  be  demon- 
strative; the  features  are  to  be  impassive.  To  such  an 
extent  is  this  discipline  carried  that  expressions  of  endear- 
ment are  seldom  indulged  in  except  between  mothers  and 
young  children. 

This  stoical  manner  has  often  been  taken  to  indicate 
cold  hearts.  A missionary  was  asked  by  a Japanese 
Christian  what  was  the  greatest  trial  in  missionary  life. 

He  answered  without  hesitation:  “The  fact  that  I never 
get  near  to  any  of  you.  You  treat  me  politely  and  kindly 
and  pleasantly,  but  I do  not  find  your  hearts.  I have  gone 
half  way  again  and  again,  but  I get  nowhere.” 

“Go  more  than  half  way,”  was  the  reply.  “The  heart 
is  there,  but  it  is  stifled.  For  centuries  we  have  been  taught 
to  repress  all  signs  of  emotion,  but  the  heart  hunger  is 
there.  Go  more  than  half  way  and  you  will  find  it.” 

“So  I did,”  continued  the  missionary,  “and  I found  my 
Japanese  brother.  Today  I have  no  warmer,  more  con- 


12  Our  Neighbor  Japan 

fidential  friendships  in  the  world  than  those  I enjoy  with 
Japanese.” 

5.  The  courage  of  the  Japanese  is  famous.  As  soldiers 
they  give  their  lives  with  superb  daring.  In  daily  life 
they  know  how  to  scorn  danger. 

6.  Among  the  less  desirable  traits  are  often  mentioned 
a certain  levity  and  lightness  of  conviction  and  an  absence 
of  high  moral  standards.  Licentiousness  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  conspicuous  example  of  national  laxity  of  view. 
Take  them  all  in  all  the  Japanese  are  a race  worthy  of  our 
friendship  and  respect.  They  have  the  stuff  in  them  to 
make  splendid  Christians. 

7.  Need  of  Understanding.  We  and  our  neighbor  on  the 
West  need  to  study  each  other’s  best  traits;  need  to  learn 
mutual  tolerance,  and  then,  mutual  admiration  for  the 
other’s  good  qualities. 

8.  Race  Prejudice.  There  is  plenty  of  race  prejudice  on 
each  side.  The  Japanese  jingoes  hold  us  up  as  a race  of 
mercenary  wretches  lost  to  all  fine  feeling  in  our  pursuit  of 
wealth.  The  American  jingo  would  close  restaurants  and 
hotels  to  respectable  Japanese.  It  is  rather  wholesome  to 
see  our  own  race  contempt  reciprocated  as  in  the  half 
humorous  passage  in  The  Diary  of  a Japanese  Convert 
(Harpers),  in  which  the  author  says  that  he  does  not  blame 
Christianity  for  the  failings  of  the  Americans  and  English, 
for  considering  that  Christianity  has  had  only  about  a 
thousand  years  of  contact,  he  feels  it  has  done  very  well 
with  so  cruel  and  barbarous  a race  as  the  Anglo-Saxon. 

VI.  The  Story  of  Japan. 

The  history  of  Japan,  like  that  of  most  peoples,  begins 
in  myth  and  legend.  Their  Mikado,  according  to  the 


Japan:  The  Land  and  The  People  13 

chroniclers,  traces  his  descent  from  the  sun  goddess.  Even 
after  historians  have  pared  away  the  legendary  features, 
it  is  still  true  that  Japanese  royalty  represents  a line 
running  back  almost  to  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era. 

Government.  The  Mikado  attained  his  position  of  power 
through  the  consolidation  of  warring  clans  to  form  a basis 
of  nationality.  Fuedalism  developed  in  Japan  as  it  did  in 
Europe,  and  ran  a somewhat  similar  course.  The  great 
nobles  owned  most  of  the  land  as  vassals  of  the  Mikado. 
They  in  turn  parceled  it  out  to  their  retainers.  A unique 
feature  in  Japanese  feudalism  was  the  Shogunate.  The 
Shogun,  or  military  head,  was  the  real  ruler  rather  than 
the  Mikado  who  was  too  sacred  to  be  even  looked  upon  by 
his  people  and  was  kept  in  strict  seclusion  at  Kyoto. 
Beneath  the  Shogun,  ruling  at  Yeddo,  were  the  great  land- 
lords or  Daimios,  and  beneath  them  their  fighting  vassals, 
the  Samurai,  the  intellectual  and  moral  force  of  the  nation. 
The  common  people  and  the  outcastes,  like  those  in  other 
feudal  lands,  had  few  rights  that  any  one  above  them  had 
to  consider. 

VII.  The  Closing  of  Japan. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  Japanese 
ports  were  closed  to  intercourse  with  the  rest  of  the  world 
through  a revolution  that  resulted  in  the  expulsion  of 
many  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  and  the  cruel  perse- 
cution of  all  Japanese  Christians.  (See  Chapter  II.) 

The  motives  were  in  part  religious  and  in  part  political. 
The  tragic  story  left  in  Japan  a bitter  and  lasting  prejudice 
against  Christianity,  sufficient  to  bar  the  door  against  the 
rest  of  the  world  for  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  years. 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


14 

VIII.  The  Opening  of  Japan. 

In  the  good  providence  of  God,  America  had  a part  in 
summoning  Japan  back  to  intercourse  with  other  nations. 
The  printed  page  of  the  Christian  revelation  was  sealed 
and  the  testimony  of  the  Christian  church  was  sealed, 
but  God  was  silently  preparing  the  way  for  the  reentry 
of  Christianity.  Within,  the  Shogunate  was  becoming 
weaker;  without,  other  nations  were  ambitious  to  enter 
into  commercial  relations  with  the  hermit  nation.  Our 
own  dear  America  was  permitted  to  be  the  first  nation 
whose  summons  the  Japanese  did  not  refuse. 

Before  Jehovah’s  Awful  Throne.  On  a bright  beautiful 
day  in  July,  1853,  Commodore  Perry  on  his  flagship,  the 
Susquehanna,  steamed  into  Yeddo  Bay  at  the  head  of 
the  fleet  of  four  American  ships,  two  of  them  the  first  steam 
vessels  in  our  navy.  Commodore  Perry  utterly  refused  to 
leave  or  to  treat  with  any  subordinate  until  he  had  de- 
livered with  a great  deal  of  pomp  and  ceremony  a letter 
which  he  had  brought  from  President  Fillmore  to  the 
Emperor  of  Japan.  When  the  letter  was  delivered  he 
promised  to  return  the  next  year,  and  sailed  away  so  that 
the  Japanese  might  have  plenty  of  time  to  think  about  it. 

While  Commodore  Perry  came  to  open  the  country  to 
trade  he  was  not  unmindful  of  the  Gospel,  and  on  July  10, 
while  the  ships  lay  at  anchor  in  the  beautiful  bay,  he  told 
the  visiting  Japanese  officers  that  visitors  could  not  be 
received  on  that  day  as  it  was  the  day  when  Americans 
worshiped  God. 

A Bible  was  laid  on  the  flag,  the  chaplain  read  the 
lesson,  then  the  band  played  “Old  Hundred”  and  all  the 
Americans  sang,  “Before  Jehovah’s  Awful  Throne,”  so 


Japan:  The  Land  and  The  People  15 

that  the  crowds  on  the  shore  and  the  throngs  in  the  little 
boats  dotting  the  bay  heard  the  full-throated  volume  of 
praise  as  it  echoed  over  the  wooded  hills. 

The  First  Treaties.  The  next  year  Commodore  Perry 
returned  with  ten  ships  and  many  presents  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States  to  the  Mikado.  Operators 
put  up  a telegraph  line,  and  the  Japanese  heard  messages 
sent  in  their  own  language.  The  little  railway  train  was 
even  more  delightful  with  its  “rosewood  car,  tiny  velvet 
seats,  real  windows  that  slid  up  and  down  and  a baby 
engine  that  flew  around  the  track,  a mile  in  three  minutes.” 
There  were  dinners  and  parties,  return  presents  from  the 
Mikado  and  at  last  the  precious  treaty  signed  and  delivered 
to  the  polite  but  firm  Commodore  Perry.  By  this  treaty 
signed  March  31,  1854,  two  ports  were  opened  to  American 
trade,  an  American  consul  was  allowed  to  live  in  Japan, 
and  kind  treatment  was  promised  American  sailors. 

Townsend  Harris,  the  first  consul,  was  able  four  years 
later  to  negotiate  a more  favorable  treaty  under  whose 
provisions  the  first  missionaries  were  tolerated  in  the  four 
open  ports,  and  the  exercise  of  their  own  religion  per- 
mitted to  them.  Mr.  Harris  represented  Christ  as  truly 
as  any  missionary  ever  sent  out. 

IX.  Changes  and  Progress. 

Since  the  time  of  our  Civil  War,  Japan  has  experienced 
more  changes  than  any  other  nation  has  ever  had  in  so 
short  a space  of  time.  The  period  of  five  hundred  years 
which  it  took  Europe  to  travel  from  feudalism  to  con- 
stitutional government  she  has  covered  in  fifty  years. 
The  Shogun  is  gone,  the  land  is  out  of  the  power  of  the 
great  princes,  the  Mikado  is  no  longer  a secluded  divinity 


i6 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


but  a constitutional  ruler  under  a modern  constitution. 
There  are  railways,  government  owned,  a wonderful  postal 
system,  a public-school  and  university  system,  modern 
medicine  and  big  hospitals,  an  army,  a navy,  big  foreign 
commerce,  ocean  liners,  thousands  of  students  in  foreign 
universities,  newspapers,  telephones,  street  cars,  electric 
lights,  public  parks,  factories,  big  business.  Japan  has 
learned  to  use  all  the  material  and  intellectual  tools  of  the 
western  world.  She  has  won  her  “place  in  the  sun”  by 
two  successful  wars.  She  has  shown  herself  a successful 
colonizer.  Such  progress,  such  efficiency  demand  the  un- 
grudging admiration  of  other  nations. 

Japan  s Need.  The  one  thing  needful  to  make  of  Japan 
an  apostle  of  things  of  the  Spirit  is  the  spirit  of  Jesus. 
That,  her  leaders  are  beginning  to  recognize.  Said  Count 
Okuma,  ex-prime  minister  of  Japan:  “China  and  Japan 
have  taught  many  wonderful  things,  but  they  have 
too  much  neglected  the  spiritual.  Now  no  nation  which 
neglects  the  spiritual  can  permanently  prosper.  Modern 
civilization  takes  its  rise  in  the  teachings  of  the  Sage  of 
Judea,  in  whom  alone  is  found  the  dynamic  of  progress.” 


Japan:  The  Land  and  The  People 


17 


Questions  for  Class  Use 

1.  Name  reasons  given  for  study  of  Japan. 

2.  What  others  occur  to  you? 

3.  How  may  Christians  help  to  build  up  better  feeling 
toward  Japan  ? 

4.  What  books  about  Japan  are  in  the  public  library? 

5.  How  many  Japanese  students  are  in  this  country? 

6.  What  opportunities  have  they  to  know  Christian 
people  ? 

7.  What  is  the  World  Alliance  to  Promote  International 
Justice  and  Friendliness  through  the  Churches? 


CHAPTER  II. 


HOW  CHRISTIANITY  CAME 

I.  What  Christianity  Found. 

When  Christianity  was  introduced  into  Japan  it  found 
three  religions  already  in  the  field:  one  of  them  native, 
the  others  of  foreign  origin.  In  practical  life  and  thought 
these  three  had  become  so  interlocked  that  a man  might 
at  the  same  time  be  an  adherent  of  all  three,  or  of  two, 
or  of  one,  as  he  chose. 

i.  Shinto.  Shintoism,  “The  Way  of  the  Gods,”  was  the 
national  cult  of  Japan.  It  combined  in  its  ceremonies 
features  of  animism  and  ancestor  worship.  It  had  no 
moral  code,  no  authoritative  sacred  scriptures,  no  theo- 
logical dogmas.  It  touched  the  lives  of  the  people  chiefly 
through  its  elevation  of  the  Mikado  and  his  family  to 
divine  honors,  and  of  the  ancestors  of  all  to  a position 
demanding  reverential  worship. 

Shinto  Beliefs  and  Practises.  There  are  no  elaborate 
Shinto  temples,  but  only  shrines  in  front  of  which  is  placed 
the  tor ii,  a sacred  arch,  seen  in  so  many  Japanese  pictures. 
The  shrine  has  no  idols  or  altar.  The  worshiper  finds  a 
mirror  and  floating  strips  of  paper  hanging  from  a wand. 
He  claps  his  hands  to  call  the  god’s  attention,  offers  a 
coin,  makes  a prayer  to  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors  and 
leaves  the  shrine.  “Follow  your  natural  impulses  and 
obey  the  laws  of  the  State,”  sums  up  the  creed  of  Shinto- 
ism in  which  loyalty  and  patriotism  are  two  chief  virtues. 

Shinto  Decline  and  Revival.  Shintoism  was  profoundly 


18 


How  Christianity  Came 


19 


affected  by  the  introduction  of  Buddhism,  and  was  over- 
shadowed for  more  than  a thousand  years.  With  the 
wonderful  national  awakening  in  the  nineteenth  century 
a revival  of  Shintoism  occurred,  by  which  it  was  made  the 
State  religion.  The  entrance  of  modern  science  into  Japan 
in  the  last  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  doomed  Shinto, 
with  its  myriads  of  gods  and  crude  folk  lore,  as  a religion. 
In  the  eyes  of  the  government,  Shinto  shrines  and  cere- 
monials are  already  regarded  as  forms  of  patriotism  and 
as  such  enrolled  under  the  care  of  the  Bureau  of  Education, 
although  to  the  common  people  Shinto  is  still  a religion. 
This  disestablishment  of  Shinto  as  a State  religion  is  one 
of  the  great  steps  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  Gospel. 

2.  Confucianism.  Confucianism,  the  ethical  system  of 
China,  was  introduced  at  an  early  date  into  Japan  through 
Korea.  The  teachings  of  Confucius  were  undoubtedly 
beneficial  to  Japan,  and  the  more  educated  classes  supple- 
mented their  Shinto  superstitions  and  ceremonies  by  the 
acceptance  of  the  Confucian  ethical  code.  In  Japan  as  in 
China,  Confucius  had  little  message  for  the  ordinary  man, 
his  eye  being  fixed  upon  the  superior  person.  The  greatest 
influence  of  Confucianism  was  felt  in  Bushido,  “The 
Warrior’s  Way,”  the  code  of  ethics  which  moulded  the 
thoughts  and  fixed  the  ideals  of  feudal  Japan.  Bushido 
has,  in  fact,  been  called  a “Japanized  Confucianism.” 

Bushido  had  many  noble  elements  but  many  funda- 
mental defects.  It  emphasized  courage,  self-control,  justice, 
politeness  and  patriotism.  But  it  ignored  chastity  in  man, 
encouraged  revenge  and  suicide,  and  a contempt  of  the 
rights  of  those  below  the  knightly  class.  Dr.  Nitobe,  a 
Japanese  Christian,  a professor  in  the  Imperial  University, 
has  written,  “The  only  other  system  powerful  enough  to 


20 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


cope  with  utilitarianism  and  materialism  is  Christianity, 
in  comparison  with  which  Bushido  is  like  a dimly  burning 
wick  which  the  Messiah  was  proclaimed  not  to  quench, 
but  to  fan  into  a flame.” 

3.  Buddhism.  Although  foreign  in  origin,  Buddhism 
has  become  the  accepted  religion  of  the  great  mass  of  the 
Japanese  people,  and  has  penetrated  with  its  influence 
every  portion  of  the  national  life.  It  came  by  way  of  Korea 
in  the  sixth  century  after  Christ,  after  it  had  been  taught 
for  a thousand  years  in  other  Oriental  lands.  It  now  num- 
bers in  Japan  alone  more  than  thirty-five  sects,  some  of 
them  bitterly  hostile  in  their  mutual  antagonism. 

Services  of  Buddhism.  In  the  train  of  Buddhism  came 
great  movements  in  art,  architecture,  literature  and 
philosophy.  “All  education  for  centuries  was  in  Buddhist 
hands,”  says  Prof.  Chamberlain,  “Buddhism  introduced 
art  and  medicine,  created  dramatic  poetry,  deeply  in- 
fluenced politics.  In  a word  Buddhism  was  the  teacher 
under  whose  instruction  the  Japanese  nation  grew  up.” 

Buddhist  Teachings.  Buddhism  is  the  one  religion  which 
has  no  doctrine  of  God,  but  is  at  bottom  Philosophical 
Atheism.  Outstanding  doctrines  are  transmigration  of 
souls,  Karma,  and  a pessimistic  view  of  human  life.  The 
Japanese  have  so  deeply  modified  Buddhism  that  this  form 
of  it  in  many  respects  flatly  contradicts  the  primitive 
Buddhism  of  Southern  Asia.  In  its  ceremonials,  priest- 
hood, asceticism,  candles,  incense  and  processions, 
Japanese  Buddhism  presents  many  curious  likenesses  to 
Roman  Catholicism. 

Present  Day  Buddhism.  While  Buddhism  is  still  enor- 
mously influential,  it  has  become  corrupt  and  lost  its  hold 
over  the  educated  classes.  The  priests  are  for  the  most 


How  Christianity  Came 


21 


part  ignorant  and  immoral.  Japanese  newspapers  are  full 
of  denunciations.  This,  for  example,  from  an  influential 
paper:  “Of  the  immorality  of  the  priests  it  makes  me 
blush  to  speak  . . . The  religion  has  no  rallying  power 
left,  no  inner  life  ...  It  has  contributed  much  to  our 
civilization  in  the  past,  but  is  now  exhausted.”  An  even 
more  striking  illustration  is  found  in  the  fact  that  among 
the  eight  thousand  students  of  the  Imperial  University  in 
Tokyo  almost  none  enrolled  themselves  as  Buddhists. 

Buddhist  Revival.  The  presence  of  Christianity  in  Japan 
has  stimulated  a Buddhist  revival.  There  is  now  a Y.  M. 
B.  A.  as  well  as  a Y.  M.  C.  A.  Buddhists  have  been  forced 
to  open  Sunday  schools  and  imitate  Christian  services. 
Some  of  our  Christian  hymns  have  been  taken  over  bodily, 
with  only  the  substitution  of  Buddha’s  name  for  that  of 
Christ,  to  be  sung  at  Buddhist  celebrations  in  imitation 
of  Christmas.  The  striking  point  is  that  these  activities 
are  imitations.  They  are  not  writing  new  Buddhist  hymns 
out  of  an  experience  of  joy  and  pardon,  but  trying  to 
defend  themselves  against  the  inroads  of  Christianity  by 
adopting  its  hymns  and  methods. 

II.  The  Missionary  Task. 

These  three  and  the  other  minor  religious  forces  of 
Japan  must  be  met  and  overcome  by  Christianity.  They 
are  woven  into  the  very  life  of  the  nation.  They  are  dear 
to  the  tenderest  feelings  of  the  people,  but  by  the  experience 
of  the  nation  itself  they  are  each  and  all  of  them  proved 
inadequate.  The  religion  which  has  met  and  vanquished 
the  religions  of  Greece  and  Rome  and  the  dark  gods  of 
the  Teutonic  tribes  need  not  fear  lest  it  prove  inadequate 
to  cope  with  these  old  entrenched  religions  of  Japan. 


22 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


III.  The  Seed  Sowing. 

It  was  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  which  planted  the 
seed  of  Christianity  in  Japan  in  the  sixteenth  century. 
The  great  missionary,  Francis  Xavier,  instructed  and 
baptized  a Japanese  who  had  fled  from  Japan  for  his  life 
on  account  of  a murder  which  he  had  committed.  At 
Malacca  he  met  the  great  apostle,  Xavier,  repented  of  his 
sins  and  was  given  in  baptism  the  name,  “Paul  of  the 
Holy  Faith.”  In  1549,  this  first  Japanese  Christian  set 
sail  for  his  own  country  in  company  with  Xavier. 

1.  Growth  of  Christianity.  The  seed  planted  by  Xavier 
with  heroism  and  self-sacrifice  flourished  amazingly. 
Within  thirty  years  there  were  two  hundred  churches  in 
Japan  and  within  a century  it  is  said  by  Japanese  historians 
that  there  were  more  than  a million  Christians  in  Japan. 
Among  the  Christians  were  generals,  men  of  rank  and 
governors.  Unfortunately,  persecution  of  the  Buddhists 
was  resorted  to  in  order  to  further  the  growth  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

2.  Church  and  State.  In  1585  the  city  of  Rome  saw  a 
strange  sight,  a group  of  young  Japanese  nobles  in  rich 
dress  who  had  come  to  pay  homage  to  Pope  Gregory 
XIII.  They  were  treated  like  royal  guests  and  after 
traveling  in  Europe  for  a year  they  returned  to  Japan  with 
a big  retinue  of  priests.  Their  journey  to  Rome  occupied 
three  years  and  it  was  four  years  before  they  again  reached 
Japan.  But  the  Japanese  were  beginning  to  be  suspicious 
of  this  religion  that  owed  allegiance  to  a foreign  potentate. 
The  Catholic  missionaries  were  suspected,  with  far  too 
good  reason,  of  being  connected  with  the  ambitions  of  the 
Catholic  nations,  Spain  and  Portugal.  It  was  charged 


How  Christianity  Came 


23 


that  plots  were  discovered  involving  Japanese  Christians. 

3.  Expulsion  of  Christianity.  In  the  middle  of  the  six- 
teenth and  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  arose 
two  of  the  greatest  national  heroes  of  Japan,  Hideyoshi, 
the  unifier  of  Japan,  and  his  successor,  Iyeyasu,  a man  even 
more  powerful  and  patriotic.  Convinced  that  Christianity 
was  a menace  to  the  independence  of  the  nation  these  two 
men  began  and  carried  out  a policy  of  ruthless  persecution 
and  extirpation  of  all  Christians.  The  foreign  priests 
were  expelled,  the  Christians  subjected  to  assault,  exile, 
torture  and  death.  Outward  evidences  of  Christianity 
were  completely  wiped  out,  and  the  islands  closed  to  all 
intercourse  with  foreign  lands  for  over  two  hundred  years. 

4.  Anti-Christian  Edicts.  In  1638  an  edict  was  issued 
and  ordered  to  be  placed  on  public  buildings  and  at  all 
the  cross  roads.  Some  of  those  old  edict  boards  worn 
smooth  with  the  storms  of  centuries  are  now  in  collections 
in  the  United  States. 

“So  long  as  the  sun  shall  continue  to  warm  the  earth  let 
no  Christian  be  so  bold  as  to  come  to  Japan,  and  let  all 
know  that  the  King  of  Spain  himself  or  the  Christian’s 
God  of  all,  if  he  dare  violate  this  command  shall  pay  for 
it  with  his  head.” 

IV.  The  Centuries  of  Seclusion. 

After  the  Government  had  killed  off  the  Christians  it 
adopted  the  most  thorough  exclusion  act  known  to  man. 
No  Japanese  might  travel  abroad;  if  shipwrecked  he 
might  not  return  to  his  own  country.  No  foreign  ships 
might  land  in  Japan,  except  on  one  small  island.  Like  an 
eye  watching  the  rest  of  the  world  Nagasaki  looked  out 
through  the  Dutch  telescope.  In  this  port  Dutch  traders 


24 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


under  close  surveillance  brought  into  Japan  scant  tidings 
of  the  outside  world,  and  took  back  in  their  stout  ships 
the  goods  which  the  Japanese  permitted  to  be  exported. 

The  Strategy  of  Providence.  On  short  view  this  long 
seclusion  of  Japan  seems  a calamity;  on  longer  view  it 
seems  as  if  it  were  God’s  hand  that  shut  her  in  until  the 
time  was  fully  come.  There  was  danger  of  the  political 
domination  of  so-called  Christian  powers  with  the  lust 
of  conquest  in  their  plans.  In  silence  and  seclusion  the 
diverse  elements  of  the  people  were  fused  into  one  nation; 
the  peculiar  genius  of  the  race  flowered,  the  Japanese 
were  made  ready  to  make  their  distinctive  contribution  to 
the  inheritance  of  mankind.  Hidden  for  a season  the 
nation  emerged  at  a time  when  a riper,  more  spiritual 
type  of  Christianity  was  prepared  to  lay  ane  wthe  founda- 
tions for  the  unseen  empire  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Persistence  of  Christianity . Although  every  trace  of 
Christianity  was  supposed  to  be  wiped  out,  it  was  found 
when  the  Catholic  missionaries  returned  to  Nagasaki  in 
the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  that  there  were  whole 
villages  that  had  remained  secretly  Christian  for  two 
hundred  years.  Fathers  on  their  death  beds  had  passed 
on  to  sons  the  prayers  and  Christian  traditions,  and 
Christian  sacraments  had  been  administered  under  the 
cloak  of  absolute  secrecy.  At  the  first  Easter  celebration 
in  the  newly  erected  Catholic  church  in  Nagasaki  fifteen 
hundred  people  came  to  church.  It  was  estimated  that 
there  were  some  twenty-five  hundred  secret  believers  in  the 
country  around  about.  The  Japanese  officials  were  angry 
at  this  evidence  of  the  persistence  of  Christianity,  and 
soon  awful  persecutions  began  again.  About  four  thou- 
sand rediscovered  Christians  are  said  to  have  been  driven 


How  Christianity  Came 


25 


from  their  homes  and  sent  to  work  in  the  mines.  Dr.  W.  E. 
Griffis  states  that  in  1871  he  saw  hundreds  of  these  Roman 
Catholic  Christians  roped  together  being  driven  off  to  the 
mountains. 

V.  Heralds  of  the  Dawn. 

During  the  years  when  Japan  was  shut  off  from  the  rest 
of  the  world  there  were  not  wanting  Christians  who  were 
thinking  and  praying  about  her.  A little  band  of  women 
in  Brookline,  Massachusetts,  met  regularly  to  pray  that 
Japan  might  be  opened  to  the  Gospel,  forty  years  before 
the  first  missionary  could  be  sent;  and  in  this  service  they 
continued  for  years.  As  they  prayed  they  gave,  and  in  a 
few  years  they  had  turned  over  six  hundred  dollars  to  the 
American  Board,  the  Congregational  Foreign  Mission 
Society.  This  money  was  invested,  and  when  mission- 
aries were  allowed  to  enter  Japan  it  had  amounted  to 
more  than  four  thousand  dollars.  It  was  a wonderful 
chain  of  circumstances  which  brought  to  China  some 
Japanese  shipwrecked  sailors  who  were  found  in  cap- 
tivity to  the  Indians  in  Oregon.  There  they  fell  into  the 
hands  of  S.  Wells  Williams  who  learned  Japanese  from 
them.  A company  of  American  merchants  fitted  out  a 
ship  in  China  in  which  Dr.  Williams  with  another  mis- 
sionary and  his  Japanese  proteges  set  sail  on  a mission  to 
Japan  in  1837.  They  were  refused  the  privilege  of  landing, 
and  returned  to  China,  where  Dr.  Williams  continued  his 
Japanese  studies  and  made  a first  attempt  at  translating 
the  Gospel  of  Matthew  into  Japanese.  It  was  these 
studies  which  enabled  him  to  be  the  interpreter  on  Com- 
modore Perry’s  ship  in  1853.  Dr.  Williams  lived  to  be 


26 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


present  at  the  baptism  of  Okuno  in  1872,  and  to  enjoy  the 
Lord’s  Supper  with  Japanese  Christians. 

VI.  The  First  Protestant  Missionaries. 

After  Townsend  Harris,  the  first  consul  of  the  United 
States  to  Japan,  had  secured  the  treaty  of  1858  which 
permitted  missionaries  to  live  in  the  few  treaty  ports  open 
to  foreigners,  American  Christians  hastened  to  take  the 
Gospel  to  Japan.  The  Episcopalians  sent  the  first  two 
missionaries,  then  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Dutch 
Reformed  and  the  Baptists  went,  until  within  a year  seven 
missionaries  were  working  in  Japan.  In  this  group  were 
Dr.  S.  R.  Brown,  Dr.  J.  C.  Hepburn  and  Guido  Verbeck, 
three  of  the  very  greatest  missionaries  ever  sent  to  any 
country.  Of  Verbeck  the  Independent  said  in  1898:  “The 
Independent  does  scant  justice  in  setting  the  name  of 
Guido  Verbeck  beside  the  names  of  Ulfilas,  Augustine 
and  St.  Patrick.” 

Trials  and  Limitations . The  missionaries  were  hampered 
at  every  turn.  They  could  not  openly  teach,  they  could 
not  sell  Christian  books,  they  were  in  imminent  peril  of 
their  lives  because  the  Government  and  people  were  both 
still  bitterly  anti-foreign.  Great  difficulty  was  found  in 
securing  teachers  of  Japanese,  and  those  who  consented 
to  teach  were  under  suspicion  and  sometimes  active 
persecution.  One  of  Dr.  Hepburn’s  teachers  confessed 
long  afterward,  “I  did  it  because  I thought  it  would  give 
me  a good  chance  to  kill  you.”  The  Boards  at  home  began 
to  doubt  the  wisdom  of  continuing  the  missionaries  in  this 
hostile  land.  But  the  missionaries  made  good  use  of  their 
enforced  idleness.  They  mastered  the  language,  began 


How  Christianity  Came 


a? 


translation,  extended  their  friendships  and  taught  English 
in  Japanese  schools. 

Great  Achievements.  This  persecuted,  suspected,  ham- 
pered band  of  pioneers  have  great  achievements  to  their 
credit.  Dr.  Hepburn  compiled  the  Japanese-English 
and  English-Japanese  dictionaries,  one  of  the  monumental 
accomplishments  of  scholarship.  Dr.  Brown  and  Dr.  Hep- 
burn made  the  first  workable  translations  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. Dr.  Verbeck,  as  the  head  of  what  is  now  the  Imperial 
University,  became  the  teacher  of  young  men  who  were  to 
remake  Japan.  He  translated  works  of  international  law, 
and  was  the  originator  and  planner  of  the  first  Commission 
which  the  Japanese  Government  sent  around  the  world 
to  study  the  civilization  of  the  West.  During  the  fifteen 
years  in  which  Dr.  Verbeck  was  at  the  head  of  the  Univer- 
sity the  greatest  men  of  the  nation  came  to  ask  his  advice 
and  no  important  step  was  taken  without  consulting 
him.  These  first  missionaries  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
public  schools  and  the  modern  medical  education  of  Japan. 

The  First  Believers.  It  was  in  1866  that  the  first  young 
converts,  men  of  high  rank,  came  to  Dr.  Verbeck,  all 
because  of  a little  testament  found  floating  in  Nagasaki 
harbor  by  one  of  them  in  1854.  It  was  in  1872  that  the 
missionaries  and  a few  Japanese  were  gathered  together 
during  the  week  of  prayer.  One  day  a wonderful  thing 
happened.  The  young  Japanese  who  had  come  to  the 
meeting,  supposedly  to  improve  their  English,  began 
to  pray.  With  streaming  eyes  they  prayed  that  God  would 
pour  out  His  Spirit  on  Japan.  After  weeks  of  meetings  of 
wonderful  spiritual  power,  eleven  Japanese  believers, 
among  them  the  young  men,  organized  a church  of  eleven 
members  on  the  very  spot  where  Commodore  Perry  had 


28 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


made  the  first  treaty.  Here  in  a little  stone  chapel  began 
the  first  Protestant  church  in  Japan. 

Creed  of  the  First  Japanese  Church.  The  creed  of  this 
first  “church  by  the  seashore”  is  of  interest.  The  first 
article  of  the  creed  reads: 

“Our  church  does  not  belong  to  any  sect  whatever;  it 
believes  only  in  the  name  of  Christ  in  whom  all  are  one; 
it  believes  that  all  who  take  the  Bible  as  their  guide  and 
who  diligently  study  it,  are  the  servants  of  Christ  and  our 
brethren.  For  this  reason  all  believers  on  earth  belong 
to  the  family  of  Christ  in  the  bonds  of  brotherly  love.” 


How  Christianity  Came 


29 


Questions  for  Class  Use 

1.  Name  the  three  religions  of  Japan. 

2.  Which  is  most  alive  today  ? 

3.  Why  is  Christianity  needed  in  Japan  ? 

4.  What  light  does  the  persecution  of  Roman  Catholic 
Christians  shed  upon  the  quality  of  Japanese  Christians? 

5.  What  peculiar  responsibility  is  laid  upon  Protestant 
Christians  for  the  evangelization  of  Japan? 

6.  What  wonderful  instances  of  Providential  preparation 
are  shown  in  this  Chapter? 

7.  Tell  the  story  of  the  Testament  found  floating  in 
Nagasaki  harbor.  See  February  Missions. 

8.  What  great  services  were  rendered  by  pioneer  Amer- 
ican Missionaries? 

9.  Why  ought  Americans  to  be  especially  enlisted  in 
missionary  work  in  Japan  ? 


CHAPTER  III. 


HOW  CHRISTIANITY  GREW 

I.  The  Second  Planting. 

We  have  seen  how  the  first  planting  of  Christianity  was 
all  but  uprooted  by  bitter  persecution,  and  how  after  an 
interval  of  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  the  Gospel 
was  again  brought  into  Japan  by  Protestant  missionaries. 
Roman  Catholic  missionaries  who  had  made  the  first 
planting  had  also  a part  in  the  replantings,  as  had  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Russian  or  Greek  Church.  The  limits  of 
this  present  study  forbid  consideration  of  either  of  these 
missionary  bodies,  except  to  say  that  the  Roman  Catholic 
has  greater  difficulties  to  contend  with  than  either  of  the 
others,  and  this  for  several  reasons. 

II.  Disabilities  of  Roman  Catholic  Missions. 

(i)  There  is  the  deep-seated  suspicion  handed  down  from 
the  former  days.  (2)  The  allegiance  to  a foreign  potentate 
and  the  lodging  of  final  ecclesiastical  authority  outside 
of  Japan  are  both  exceedingly  obnoxious  to  Japanese 
thought.  (3)  The  very  similarity  in  ritual  and  outward 
form  is  a hindrance  to  thousands  who  are  weary  of  the 
empty  splendor  of  Buddhism.  (4)  The  emphasis  on 
mediaeval  dogmas  in  religion,  and  the  opposition  to 
democratic  aspirations  repel  the  progressive  Japanese. 
(5)  The  demand  for  the  abrogation  of  individual  opinion 
comes  without  strong  appeal  to  a nation  awakening  for  the 


30 


How  Christianity  Grew 


3i 


first  time  to  a sense  of  the  rights  of  the  individual.  Hence, 
while  there  are  not  wanting  fine  schools  and  devoted  mis- 
sionaries, the  representatives  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  have  had  a discouraging  reception.  It  seems 
evident  to  a thoughtful  student  of  the  situation  that  the 
Protestant  interpretation  of  the  Christian  religion  is  that 
which  at  the  present  crisis  is  best  adapted  to  bring  the 
Gospel  to  bear  upon  the  Japanese  nation.  This  lays  an 
added  responsibility  upon  Protestants. 

III.  Influences  Favoring  the  Growth  of 
Protestantism. 

The  hand  of  God  is  plainly  seen  in  the  Providential 
guidance  of  the  early  missionaries,  and  in  the  bringing  of 
strong  auxiliary  forces  into  the  field.  To  mention  a few: 

1.  The  first  missionaries  were  men  of  remarkable 
intellectual  vigor  fitted  to  be  the  guides  and  inspirers  of 
the  Japanese  leaders. 

2.  Christianity  laid  hold  first  upon  the  Samurai,  the 
knightly  class,  men  best  prepared  to  understand  the 
message  of  Christianity.  The  young  men’s  classes  of 
Dr.  Brown,  Dr.  Hepburn  and  Dr.  Verbeck  included 
men  who  were  to  shape  the  destiny  of  the  nation. 

3.  The  first  embassy  sent  round  the  world  through  the 
influence  of  Guido  Verbeck  brought  back  a message  con- 
cerning the  place  and  influence  of  Christianity  in  Western 
lands  which  caused  the  abandonment  of  the  anti-Christian 
edicts  on  the  part  of  the  Government. 

4.  The  United  States  sent  as  its  first  representative 
Hon.  Townsend  Harris,  an  earnest  Christian  man  whose 
life  and  outspoken  testimony  had  great  weight.  It  was 


32 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


he  who  secured  a provision  in  the  treaty  guaranteeing 
to  Americans  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion. 

5.  The  American  teachers  who  found  positions  in  the 
government  schools  and  colleges  so  rapidly  developed 
along  lines  of  Western  education  were  of  strong  Christian 
character.  An  illustrious  example  of  this  sort  of  promotion 
of  Christianity  is  Mr.  M.  E.  Clark  who  was  engaged  by 
the  Government  to  teach  science  in  the  city  of  Shizuoka. 
He  refused  to  sign  a paper  promising  not  to  speak  of 
Christianity,  though  this  meant  the  risk  of  losing  his  posi- 
tion and  all  his  investment  of  time  and  money.  He  stood 
firm  for  principle  and  the  Government  yielded.  President 
Clark,  of  the  Massachusetts  College  of  Agriculture,  was 
invited  by  the  Japanese  Government  to  come  to  Japan 
and  lay  the  foundations  of  modern  agricultural  science 
at  Sapporo.  He  was  refused  permission  to  use  the  Bible 
in  teaching  ethics.  Upon  his  declaring  that  he  knew  no 
science  of  ethics  apart  from  the  Scriptures  the  prohibition 
was  removed.  Many  of  his  students  became  Christian 
and  Dr.  Clark’s  name  and  influence  were  revered  through- 
out the  islands. 

6.  In  1872  the  Prince  of  Kumamoto  opened  a school  in 
which  he  employed  as  teacher  Capt.  L.  L.  Janes,  a 
graduate  of  West  Point.  The  young  teacher  prayed 
and  said  nothing  about  his  faith  for  two  years.  Then 
armed  by  the  knowledge  of  the  language  and  the  friend- 
ship of  his  pupils  he  invited  them  to  study  the  Bible.  He 
presented  Christ  with  such  passionate  conviction  that 
one  Sunday  forty  of  these  young  men  met  and  signed 
an  oath  to  preach  the  Gospel  even  if  it  cost  them  their 
lives.  Thirty  of  these  held  firm  under  heavy  persecution, 
entered  the  seminary  and,  as  The  Kumamoto  Band , were 


How  Christianity  Grew 


33 


among  the  early  leaders.  Thus  this  young  military  in- 
structor strengthened  the  infant  church  by  a choice  group 
of  remarkably  able  leaders  and  preachers. 

IV.  Periods  in  the  Growth  of  Protestant  Missions. 

Professor  Ernest  W.  Clement  in  his  valuable  book, 
Christianity  in  Modern  Japan,  recognizes  five  periods  in 
the  planting  of  Protestant  missions:  (i)  preparation, 
1859-1873;  (2)  foundations,  1873-1883;  (3)  popularity, 
1883-1889;  (4)  reaction,  1889-1899;  (5)  revival,  1899-1917. 
The  first  period  has  been  covered  in  the  previous  chapter. 
During  this  period  of  preparation  the  missionaries  mastered 
the  language,  prepared  a dictionary,  translated  funda- 
mental Western  books  and  documents,  won  the  first  con- 
verts and  organized  the  first  church.  The  anti-Christian 
bulletin  boards  were  taken  down  by  the  Government, 
the  Gregorian  or  Christian  calendar  was  adopted,  feudal- 
ism was  abolished,  the  outcasts  recognized  as  human 
beings,  and  modern  education  and  modern  medicine  had 
made  a beginning. 

1.  Foundation  Laying  1873-1883.  Although  only  fifteen 
converts  had  been  baptized  during  the  first  fourteen  years 
much  more  had  been  accomplished  than  appeared  on  the 
surface.  The  heroic  labor  of  Bible  translation,  a feature 
of  this  second  period,  had  really  been  getting  under  way 
during  the  years  preceding.  In  this  greatest  of  all  literary 
undertakings  in  any  language  it  is  gratifying  to  know  that 
our  own  Dr.  Nathan  Brown  had  an  honored  part.  It  is 
significant  of  the  difference  in  emphasis  between  Roman 
Catholic  and  Protestant  missions  that  the  former  in  a 
century  of  popularity  during  which  more  than  a million 
converts  were  won  gave  no  Japanese  Bible  to  the  people, 


34 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


nor  did  they  attempt  it  during  the  first  three  or  four 
decades  of  modern  mission  effort.  The  Protestants  during 
this  second  decade  not  only  translated  the  whole  Bible, 
but  also  began  the  work  of  the  distribution  and  sale  of 
Christian  literature  through  the  entrance,  during  the 
decade,  of  three  Bible  Societies  (Scotch,  English  and 
American)  and  two  tract  societies.  Other  foundations 
were  laid  in  the  opening  of  the  first  four  theological  semi- 
naries from  which  were  graduated  the  present  elder  leaders 
of  the  Christian  Church.  During  this  same  period  great 
Christian  schools  were  established.  The  first  Christian 
hospital  was  established  in  Tokyo  in  1875.  Of  this  it 
has  been  said: 

“Far  out  upon  the  sea  shone  its  banner  with  the  red  sun 
of  Japan  and  in  it  a white  cross,  inviting  sufferers  into  its 
spacious,  cheerful  waiting  room  upon  the  walls  of  which 
were  hung  the  Lord’s  Prayer.” 

Other  foundations  laid  by  the  young  Christian  Church 
during  this  second  decade  were  the  beginnings  of  the 
education  of  girls,  the  foundations  of  philanthropic  in- 
stitutions for  the  suffering  and  dependent,  the  ordination 
of  a Japanese  ministry,  and  the  publishing  of  the  first 
Christian  weekly  and  monthly  papers. 

During  this  time  Sunday  was  made  the  weekly  day  of 
rest  by  the  Government  to  be  observed  by  all  Govern- 
ment offices  and  agencies. 

2.  Period  of  Popularity.  After  this  good  foundation 
came  a sudden  spring-time  of  popularity.  Christianity 
became  almost  fashionable,  converts  flocked  to  the 
churches.  It  was  even  proposed  that  the  Emperor  receive 
baptism.  Japan  seemed  minded  to  take  over  Christianity 
with  the  other  Western  improvements  she  was  so  eagerly 


How  Christianity  Grew 


35 


adopting.  The  number  of  missionaries  more  than  doubled 
and  the  number  of  stations  quadrupled.  A new  word  was 
born  into  the  Japanese  language,  the  word  rebaibaruy 
“revival,”  because  a new  experience  had  come  into  the 
nation.  In  the  Doshisha,  the  great  Christian  college 
founded  by  Japan’s  noblest  Christian,  the  classes  spent 
hours  together  in  prayer  and  praise.  This  period  cul- 
minated in  the  proclamation  of  constitutional  govern- 
ment, the  granting  of  local  self-government,  and  the 
securing  of  religious  liberty.  The  inclusion  of  the  article 
regarding  religious  liberty  was  directly  traceable  to  mis- 
sionary influence,  as  was  a similar  inclusion  in  the  con- 
stitution of  the  Chinese  Republic  when  missionaries 
brought  forward  the  fact  that  the  Japanese  constitution 
following  that  of  the  United  States  guaranteed  full 
religious  liberty.  The  twenty-eighth  article  of  the  Japan- 
ese constitution  reads:  “Japanese  subjects  shall,  within 
limits  not  prejudicial  to  peace  and  order,  and  not  antago- 
nistic to  their  duties  as  subjects,  enjoy  freedom  of  religious 
belief.”  Truly  this  was  a marvellous  result  of  the  brief 
impact  upon  Japanese  thought  of  less  than  thirty  years. 
In  i860  it  was  death  to  a Japanese  to  enter  a Christian 
church,  only  tolerated  in  a few  centers  as  a worshiping 
place  for  foreigners.  In  1889  the  Government  that  had 
for  nearly  three  hundred  years  suspected,  feared  and  hated 
Christianity  allowed  it  free  access  to  all  its  subjects. 

3.  The  Reaction.  In  the  years  from  1889-1899  there 
followed  a sharp  reaction.  Converts  fell  off,  crowds  refused 
to  listen,  the  Government  turned  its  back,  many  church 
members  withdrew  from  the  church,  the  demand  for 
Bibles  declined,  a sharp  Buddhist  and  Shinto  opposition 
developed.  The  causes  of  this  reaction  were  many  and 


36 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


some  of  them  plain.  Many  had  been  swept  into  the  church 
without  real  understanding  or  conversion.  When  the 
radical  nature  of  the  demands  of  Christianity  were  better 
understood  it  ceased  to  attract  those  who  held  on  to  sin. 
A tide  of  materialism  swept  into  Japan  as  into  other 
nations  and  found  the  Japanese  even  less  prepared  to  with- 
stand it.  The  sudden  development  bred  national  conceit 
and  dislike  of  things  foreign.  Japan  was  to  be  self- 
sufficient  even  in  religion. 

Among  all  causes  within  and  without  perhaps  the 
greatest  was  the  un-Christianized  conduct  of  the  so- 
called  Christian  nations.  The  smug  walling  in  of  Christian 
principles  to  individual  conduct  while  the  nation  blustered 
and  plundered,  the  unjust  discrimination  against  Japan 
and  China  in  humiliating  treaties  forced  upon  them  by 
more  powerful  nations,  the  refusal  of  so-called  Christian 
powers  to  admit  Japan  to  the  comity  of  nations  aroused 
fierce  and  justified  resentment  among  the  Japanese  and 
caused  distrust  of  the  Christian  religion.  Added  to 
the  un-Christian  conduct  of  the  nations  was  the  apathy  of 
the  Church  that  took  hold  feebly,  upon  the  great  enter- 
prise of  winning  the  intellectual  leaders  of  the  Orient  to 
Christianity. 

4.  The  Revival.  Slowly  the  tide  began  to  turn  with  the 
dawn  of  the  new  century.  The  nation  had  tried  to  build  its 
civilization  upon  the  foundation  of  material  progress  and 
atheism  and  the  results  began  to  frighten  thoughtful  and 
patriotic  men.  A juster  and  deeper  appreciation  of  the 
value  of  religion  and  of  the  Christian  religion  in  particular, 
began  to  dawn.  This  is  reflected  in  the  utterance  of  many 
eminent  men,  not  Christian. 

Hon.  T.  Tanaka,  Charge  d’  Affairs,  Japanese  Embassy, 
Washington,  says: 


How  Christianity  Grew 


37 


“Christianity  has  more  than  anything  else  diffused 
among  our  people  the  notion  of  international  brotherhood. 
Secluded  as  we  were  from  the  outer  world  for  more  than 
two  centuries,  we  had  very  little  conception  of  what  the 
rest  of  the  human  beings  were  doing  in  the  meanwhile. 
At  least  the  mass  of  people  thought  that  we  were  the  only 
civilized  nation  existent  on  the  globe.  Commodore  Perry’s 
expedition  and  many  other  events  brought  about  the 
opening  of  the  country,  and  the  denizens  of  the  island 
empire  became  more  and  more  alive  to  their  real  inter- 
national position. 

“It  would  be  amiss  if  I failed  to  mention  the  enormous 
benefit  Christianity  is  contributing  to  Japan  in  the  line  of 
women’s  education  and  philanthropic  works,  which  would 
never  have  attained  their  present  magnitude  and  develop- 
ment but  for  the  guiding  hand  of  foreign  missionaries. 

“I  believe  that  in  Japan  freedom  of  conscience  obtains 
more  than  in  any  other  country;  but  religions  will  become 
the  integral  part  of  a nation  only  when  they  are  thoroughly 
acclimatized.  I hope  and  believe  that  in  the  fulness  of 
time  a real  Japanese  Christianity  will  evolve  and  be  a 
beacon  light  in  the  path  of  the  Japanese  people  in  the 
progress  of  civilization.” 

Count  Okuma,  the  recent  Prime  Minister  of  Japan, 
publicly  made  the  following  statement  regarding  the  past 
and  the  future  of  Christianity  in  Japan.  This  is  especially 
striking  in  view  of  the  fact  that  half  a century  ago  death 
was  the  penalty  to  those  who  became  Christians. 

“Although  Christianity  has  enrolled  less  than  two  hun- 
dred thousand  believers,  yet  the  indirect  influence  of 
Christianity  has  poured  into  every  realm  of  Japanese 
life.  . . . Christianity  has  affected  us  not  only  in  such 


38 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


superficial  ways  as  the  observance  of  Sunday,  but  also  in 
our  ideals  concerning  political  institutions,  the  family, 
and  woman’s  station.  It  has  been  borne  to  us  on  all  the 
currents  of  European  civilization;  most  of  all,  the  English 
language  and  literature,  so  surcharged  with  Christian 
ideas,  have  exerted  a wide  and  deep  influence  over  Japanese 
thought. 

“Concerning  the  future  it  is  my  own  conviction  that  no 
practical  solution  of  many  pressing  problems  is  in  sight 
apart  from  Christianity .” 

V.  Evidences  of  Growth. 

1.  Numerical.  So  late  as  the  beginning  of  the  seventies 
there  were  less  than  a score  of  Protestant  Christians.  The 
statistical  tables  given  in  The  Christian  Movement  in 
Japan  (1916)  show  that  there  are  97,350  communicant 
members  of  the  Protestant  churches  in  Japan.  Adult 
baptisms  during  the  year  numbered  11,886.  There  are  also 
2,485  Sunday  schools  enrolling  148,333  pupils  and  teachers. 
Including  Roman  and  Greek  Catholic  converts  there  are 
about  two-hundred  thousand  Christian  believers  in  Japan. 

2.  Organization.  Christianity  has  become  to  such  a 
degree  indigenous  that  the  Japanese  have  their  own  church 
organizations,  periodicals  and  missionary  societies  quite 
independent  of  and  separate  from  the  work  carried  on  by 
Mission  Boards  through  the  missionaries.  Take  the 
Kumiai  churches — the  Japanese  Congregationalists — for 
example.  They  build  and  maintain  their  own  churches, 
call  and  ordain  their  own  pastors,  carry  on  their  own 
schools.  The  Doshisha,  the  foremost  Christian  college  in 
Japan,  is  now  under  the  control  of  this  body.  There  are 
missionaries  on  the  teaching  staff,  three  out  of  the  twenty 


How  Christianity  Grew 


39 


trustees  are  American  missionaries,  but  for  years  no 
financial  aid  except  the  payment  of  the  salaries  of  mis- 
sionary teachers  has  been  given  by  the  American  Board. 
The  President  is  a Christian  Japanese,  the  management  is 
Japanese.  This  Kumiai  Church  conducts  active  foreign 
mission  work  in  Korea  and  Hawaii. 

3.  Christian  Literature.  Another  evidence  of  growth  is 
in  the  Christian  literature  written  and  published  by  the 
Japanese  for  the  Japanese.  There  is  no  non-Christian 
land  that  makes  a more  remarkable  contribution  in  this 
line.  To  take  only  a few  examples.  Professor  Yamada 
prepared  himself  to  write  a life  of  Christ  by  study  in  the 
Holy  Land.  He  says:  “Jesus  Christ  has  for  a long  time 
been  the  Jesus  Christ  of  Occidentals  alone  . . . but  the 
hands  of  Japanese  must  cause  Lives  of  Christ  to  be  born.” 
Colonel  Yamamuro,  of  the  Salvation  Army,  has  written 
a popular  life  of  Christ  called  The  Gospel  for  the  Common 
People  which  has  gone  through  more  than  ninety-one 
editions.  There  are  a Life  of  Paul , Philosophy  of  the 
Christian  Religion , books  of  religious  verse,  novels,  essays 
and  apologetics.  In  addition  to  these  original  compositions 
there  are  many  translations  of  Christian  books  made  by 
Japanese;  for  example,  Fosdick’s  Manhood  of  the  Master, 
J.  R.  Miller’s  Come  Ye  Apart , and  F.  W.  H.  Myers’  epic 
St.  Paul,  translated  by  Professor  Saito  of  the  Imperial 
University.  Sabatier’s  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  appeared  last 
year  in  two  translations.  One  of  the  greatest  undertakings 
in  Christian  literature  was  the  preparation  and  publication 
of  the  Union  Hymnal  used  by  all  Protestant  churches. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  these  have  been  sold. 

4.  Philanthropy . Christianity  is  bringing  its  sure  fruit- 
age in  the  Japanese  soul  in  the  creation  of  institutions  of 


4o 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


mercy  and  rescue.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the 
homes  for  discharged  convicts.  That  of  Mr.  Hara  in 
Tokyo  has  sheltered  and  redeemed  thousands  of  hopeless 
men.  Mr.  Ishii  in  his  orphanages  conducted  by  faith  on 
the  pattern  of  the  Muller  orphanages  in  England,  has  re- 
cently been  led  to  undertake  the  neglected  field  of  minis- 
try to  the  feeble-minded.  The  Emperor  at  the  time  of  the 
coronation  bestowed  a decoration  upon  Rev.  K.  Tomeska 
for  his  work  in  the  Home  School  for  Wayward  Boys.  The 
two  men  selected  for  such  honors  out  of  hundreds  of  so- 
cial workers  were  both  Christian.  Christian  families  are 
beginning  to  give  for  such  philanthropies.  Note  the  Sum- 
itoni  family’s  gift  of  one  hundred  thousand  Yen  for  an  in- 
dustrial school  for  poor  boys  in  Osaka. 

5.  Public  Recognition.  From  the  beginning  Christians 
have  had  an  influence  disproportioned  to  their  numerical 
strength.  In  the  first  parliament,  elected  in  1890,  there 
were  thirteen  Christians  out  of  a membership  of  three 
hundred,  although  the  Christians  at  that  time  did  not 
number  one-tenth  of  one  per  cent  of  the  population.  On 
more  than  one  occasion  the  speaker  of  the  house  has  been 
a Christian.  The  chief  justice  of  Korea,  Judge  Watanabe, 
is  a Christian,  as  are  leading  officers  in  the  army.  The 
work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  been  honored  by  large  sub- 
scriptions from  the  Emperor  as  has  St.  Lukes,  the  Christian 
hospital  in  Tokyo.  General  Booth  of  the  Salvation  Army 
was  welcomed  as  a hero,  and  accorded  the  supreme  honor 
of  a personal  interview  with  the  Emperor.  The  Emperor 
later  conferred  a similar  honor  upon  Dr.  Clark,  the  leader 
of  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  The  conference  of  the  World’s 
Student  Christian  Federation  held  in  Tokyo  in  1907  was 
given  an  address  of  welcome  by  the  Prime  Minister,  and 


How  Christianity  Grew 


4i 


a similar  recognition  was  made  at  the  fifteenth  anniversary 
of  the  planting  of  Protestant  missions.  The  World  War 
interrupted  and  postponed  meetings  of  the  World’s 
Sunday  School  Alliance  scheduled  for  Tokyo  in  1917. 
Count  Okuma  had  accepted  the  Chairmanship  of  the 
Committee  of  Arrangements.  During  the  Russo-Japanese 
war  the  Government  appointed  Christian  as  well  as 
Buddhist  chaplains  for  the  army. 

6.  Growing  Spirit  of  Evangelism.  The  best  evidence  of 
the  growing  power  of  Christianity  is  seen  in  the  three-year 
evangelistic  campaign  now  entering  upon  its  last  year. 
The  suggestion  for  this  nation-wide  movement  was  made 
by  Japanese  Christians.  The  plans  were  laid  by  a com- 
mittee composed  of  Japanese  and  missionaries.  College 
professors,  bankers,  mayors  of  cities,  legislators  and  leading 
business  men,  as  well  as  pastors,  have  given  their  services 
on  the  evangelistic  teams.  Great  gospel  halls  have  been 
erected  in  the  large  cities,  where  night  after  night  thou- 
sands gather  to  hear  the  message  of  Jesus,  and  to 
unite  in  Christian  hymns.  Among  notable  speakers  are 
Colonel  Yamamoto  of  the  Salvation  Army;  Madam 
Hirooka,  a woman  of  great  wealth  and  social  distinction 
converted  when  past  sixty,  and  giving  her  whole  time  to 
evangelism;  and  President  Harada,  of  the  Doshisha  Uni- 
versity. The  effects  are  marked.  Thousands  of  Bibles  are 
sold  to  non-Christians  who  pledge  themselves  to  study 
carefully  the  claims  of  Christ.  Thousands  have  signed 
decision  cards  (it  is  said  one  thousand  in  Tokyo  alone)  and 
later  joined  the  churches.  To  many  of  the  missionaries 
the  sight  of  these  Japanese  Christians  ministering  the 
things  of  Christ  to  thronging  thousands  brings  joy  too 
great  for  self-control. 


42 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


VI.  Land  yet  to  be  Possessed. 

The  growth  of  Christianity  in  numbers  and  influence 
is  marked  enough  to  be  full  of  encouragement.  The  task 
yet  to  be  accomplished  is  great  and  difficult  enough  to 
send  us  to  our  knees.  Most  of  the  Christian  forces  are 
in  the  city.  The  backbone  of  the  nation  is  in  the  country. 

1.  The  Agricultural  Classes.  It  was  estimated  in  the 
conference  conducted  by  John  R.  Mott  that  eighty  per 
cent  of  the  total  population  of  Japan,  more  than  forty 
millions,  live  in  the  rural  districts.  Of  these  not  four  per 
cent  are  reached  by  any  Christian  agencies.  Take  for 
example,  Ibaraki  Province,  where  thirteen  million  people 
live.  There  are  2,033  villages;  Christianity  is  represented 
in  thirty-six  of  these.  There  are  336  towns;  only  two  of 
them  have  Christian  workers  either  Japanese  or  foreign. 
There  are  only  thirty  Christian  workers  in  the  whole 
province.  In  no  prefecture  in  the  province  is  there  one 
Japanese  pastor  to  less  than  fifty  thousand  people.  Up 
and  down  the  land  there  are  thousands  of  places  where  a 
Bible  has  never  been  seen  and  a Christian  prayer  never 
been  uttered. 

2.  The  Student  Classes.  The  great  mass  of  young  men 
in  the  institutions  of  higher  learning  are  avowed  atheists 
or  agnostics.  A small  minority  declare  themselves  to  be 
Buddhists  or  Christians.  But  these  future  leaders  have 
lost  faith  in  the  old  religions  without  adopting  Christianity. 
This  fact  menaces  the  nation’s  future. 

3.  The  Working  People.  In  the  cities  Christianity  has 
touched  for  the  most  part  the  middle  class  or  the  Samurai. 
The  vast  awakening  class  of  those  who  toil  in  mines  and 
factories  is  unreached.  To  these  men,  open  to  all  the 


How  Christianity  Grew 


43 


destructive  theories  in  economics  and  government  put 
forth  from  Europe  and  America,  the  Gospel  must  be  taken 
if  the  nation  is  to  endure.  It  was  an  awakening  sense  of  the 
peril  to  the  nation  from  the  irreligion  of  these  millions  that 
led  the  Government  to  call  the  Conference  of  the  Three 
Religions  (Shinto,  Buddhism,  Christianity),  thereby 
recognizing  Christianity  as  one  of  the  religions  of  Japan. 

VIII.  Ability  of  American  Churches. 

The  challenge  of  Japan’s  need  is  not  flung  out  to  a 
helpless  people.  We  are  abundantly  able  to  meet  it. 
There  is  all  told  a missionary  force  of  about  one  thousand 
in  Japan.  American  Christians  could  easily  provide  ten 
times  this  number  without  impoverishing  but  actually 
stimulating  the  work  in  the  home  land.  In  the  United 
States  over  one-third  of  the  congregations  take  no  part  in 
the  expansion  of  Christianity  beyond  our  borders.  Even 
more  serious,  we  give  annually  an  average  of  not  more 
than  seventy  cents  each  to  carry  the  Gospel  of  the  Son 
of  God  to  the  perishing.  We  build  twelve  churches  a day 
in  our  own  country.  “Our  nation  possesses  but  seven 
per  cent  of  the  area  of  the  earth,  but  industrially  we  equal 
about  half  mankind.  We  have  twice  as  much  life  insurance 
as  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  Half  as  much  money  on 
deposit  in  savings  banks  as  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  We 
spend  two-thirds  as  much  on  education  as  all  the  rest  of 
the  world.  One-third  of  all  the  revenue  collected  by 
governments  is  ours,  while  our  debt  is  but  one-thirtieth 
of  the  debt  of  the  world.” 

We  can  give  the  Gospel.  We  have  the  men,  the  money 
and  the  education.  “We  need  a personal  and  widely 
distributed  conscience  on  missions.  The  professed  Chris- 


44 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


tian  who  does  not  give  or  cannot  be  educated  to  give  for 
missions  for  which  his  Lord  gave  up  heaven  and  life  itself, 
in  very  truth  needs  the  Gospel,  the  prayers  of  Saints,  and 
the  pity  of  angels.” 


Questions  For  Class  Use 

i.  What  circumstances  make  it  easier  for  Protestant 
than  for  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  to  gain  a hearing  in 
Japan? 

i.  Give  examples  of  splendid  Christian  services  ren- 
dered by  American  laymen  in  Japan. 

3.  Mention  the  five  periods  in  the  growth  of  Protestant 
missions. 

4.  During  which  period  was  our  Baptist  mission 
planted? 

5.  Name  some  of  the  advance  steps  taken  by  the 
Japanese  Government  during  the  last  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

6.  Name  the  principal  causes  for  the  reaction  against 
Christianity. 

7.  What  is  the  most  striking  statement  in  the  quotation 
from  Count  Okuma? 

8.  What  are  the  evidences  of  the  growth  of  Chris- 
tianity in  Japan? 

9.  Which  impress  you  most  deeply? 

10.  What  is  the  duty  of  American  Christians  in  view 
of  all  the  facts? 


CHAPTER  IV. 


OUR  BAPTIST  TASK 
I.  Early  on  the  Field. 

Although  not  the  first  to  send  missionaries  to  Japan, 
American  Baptists  were  one  of  the  denominations  repre- 
sented during  the  first  year  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty. 
On  Commodore  Perry’s  ship  was  a sailor,  Jonathan  Goble, 
an  earnest  Christian  who  had  joined  the  expedition 
because  he  thought  he  might  learn  something  about  the 
people  of  Japan  and  perhaps  open  the  way  for  missionary 
service. 

On  board  the  ship  was  a Japanese  sailor  rescued  from  a 
wrecked  Japanese  boat,  who  was  too  terrified  to  land  in 
his  own  country  and  so  came  back  to  America  with  the 
rest  of  the  crew.  Jonathan  Goble  was  very  kind  to  the 
lonely  Japanese,  took  him  to  his  own  home  and  taught  him 
English  and  all  about  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  probable  that  this 
poor  exile,  received  by  baptism  into  the  church  in  Hamil- 
ton, N.  Y.,  was  the  first  Protestant  Japanese  Christian. 
Mr.  Goble  returned  to  Japan  in  i860  as  the  first  Baptist 
missionary,  and  took  with  him  the  first  Japanese  Baptist, 
Sentaro,  the  shipwrecked  sailor.  Mr.  Goble  had  mean- 
while received  ordination  and  went  out  under  the  Baptist 
Free  Mission  Society,  a body  organized  and  supported 
by  abolitionists. 

An  Interesting  Character.  Although  not  of  commanding 
ability,  Jonathan  Goble’s  name  will  always  be  remembered 


45 


46 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


for  an  invention  of  his  which  has  captured  the  Orient. 
He  gave  a Japanese  workman  the  design  and  directions 
from  which  the  first  jinrikisha  was  made.  He  also  trans- 
lated and  sung  the  first  Christian  hymn,  “There  is  a 
Happy  Land.”  While  working  at  his  trade  he  employed 
the  scant  opportunities  he  had  for  Christian  work  by 
making  a translation  of  Matthew’s  Gospel  into  colloquial 
Japanese,  the  first  printed  portion  of  the  New  Testament. 
When  the  Baptists  of  the  north  took  over  the  Free  Mission 
in  1872,  they  adopted  Jonathan  Goble  as  their  missionary. 
He  soon  after  terminated  his  connection  with  the  mission. 

A Great  Pioneer.  Rev.  Nathan  Brown  is  rightly  regarded 
as  the  pioneer  of  Baptist  work  in  Japan.  He  had  been  a 
pioneer  in  Assam  where  he  had  translated  the  New  Testa- 
ment into  Assamese,  written  a life  of  Christ  and  many 
hymns,  and  after  twenty  years  suffered  a complete  break- 
down in  health  that  sent  him  to  the  home  land  in  1855. 
He  had  been  in  America  eighteen  years,  and  was  sixty- 
six  years  old  when  he  was  asked  to  become  the  pioneer 
missionary  to  Japan.  This  he  did,  and  rendered  great 
service  for  thirteen  years.  His  unique  genius  in  language 
enabled  him  to  so  master  the  difficult  Japanese  language 
that  he  was  able  in  seven  years  to  publish  the  first  trans- 
lation of  the  entire  New  Testament  into  Japanese.  Al- 
though this  version  was  later  superseded  in  popular  use 
by  that  of  the  Union  Committee  it  has  always  held  a high 
position  among  scholars.  Professor  E.  W.  Clement,  him- 
self an  accomplished  Japanese  scholar,  says:  “The  version 
does  not  enjoy  a wide  circulation,  but  it  is  generally 
acknowledged  to  be  clearer,  simpler,  and  more  in  harmony 
with  the  original  than  is  the  other  translation.”  When 
the  old  missionary  died,  greatly  beloved  by  the  people,  the 


Our  Baptist  Task 


47 


reiterated  prayer  of  his  life  was  carved  upon  his  tomb- 
stone: “God  bless  the  Japanese.” 

Entrance  of  the  Woman  s Society.  Only  two  years  after 
the  establishment  of  the  Baptist  mission,  the  newly  formed 
Woman’s  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  sent  out  in 
1874  its  first  two  missionaries,  Clara  Sands,  and  Anna  H. 
Kidder,  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  educational  work 
for  girls  now  so  splendid  a feature  of  the  mission. 

II.  Subsequent  Growth. 

The  first  Baptist  Church  organized  in  1873  can  hardly 
be  called  a Japanese  church  as  the  missionaries  were  its 
only  members;  but  a few  months  later  the  first  convert 
was  won,  and  in  1879  the  first  Japanese  pastor,  Rev.  T. 
Kawakatsu,  was  ordained.  It  was  in  the  Kanda  River 
that  in  1875  Mr.  Arthur  had  the  honor  of  baptizing  the 
first  Japanese  woman  known  to  have  confessed  Christ. 
As  in  most  Oriental  countries  the  first  converts  had  all 
been  men.  Uchida  Hama  is  still  living  and  working  for 
Christ  as  a Bible  woman.  She  has  lived  to  see  the  mustard 
seed  become  a great  tree. 

During  the  next  fifteen  years  forty  missionaries  were 
sent  out,  some  of  them  to  die,  some  to  return  home  broken 
in  health.  In  1888  twenty-three  were  in  active  service. 
During  this  period  missions  were  established  in  Yoko- 
hama, Tokyo,  Kobe,  Morioka  and  Sendai  (at  that  time 
two  hundred  miles  beyond  any  railway).  These  continue 
to  be  centers  of  Baptist  work. 

In  1901,  through  the  good  offices  of  Colonel  Buck, 
United  States  Minister  to  Japan,  the  Mission  secured  the 
incorporation  of  a “Shadan”  through  which  the  Mission 


48 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


could  hold  real  estate  for  mission  purposes.  This  was  the 
first  time  the  Government  had  granted  such  a right. 

By  the  year  1903  the  Mission  had  expanded  to  the 
occupation  of  the  field  now  cultivated.  Osaka  and  Mito 
had  been  entered,  the  Fukuin  Maru  was  sailing  the  In- 
land Sea  and  the  far-flung  line  had  been  extended  to  the 
Liuchiu  Islands,  a thousand  miles  from  Tokyo. 

III.  Nature  of  the  Work. 

From  the  beginning  the  emphasis  has  been  upon  evan- 
gelistic work.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  aim  the  necessity 
for  schools  in  which  leaders  of  the  Christian  community 
might  be  trained  has  been  thrust  upon  the  attention  of 
the  Mission.  The  agencies  by  which  the  Gospel  in  all  its 
fulness  is  brought  to  bear  are  churches  and  preaching 
places,  a theological  seminary  at  Tokyo,  a boys’  school, 
four  girls’  schools,  kindergartens,  a kindergarten  training 
school,  a Bible  training  school,  Christian  dormitory  at 
Waseda  University,  a night  school,  business  men’s  dormi- 
tory in  Yokohama,  a great  institutional  church  in  Tokyo, 
a gospel  ship  on  the  Inland  Sea,  numerous  Sunday  schools 
and  Bible  translation.  Every  one  of  these  contributes 
directly  to  the  evangelizing  of  Japan. 

IV.  Statistics. 

Our  Baptist  Mission  numbers  fifty-eight  missionaries, 
twenty  men  and  their  wives  and  eighteen  unmarried 
women.  We  have  sixty-one  Japanese  pastors,  only  twenty- 
one  of  them  with  full  theological  training  and  ordination. 
We  have  thirty-four  organized  churches,  152  outstations 
and^places  for  regular  meetings.  We  have  109  Japanese 
teachers;  forty-seven  of  them  men.  There  are  also  thirty- 


Our  Baptist  Task 


49 


two  Bible  women  and  six  other  workers,  making  a total 
of  208  Japanese  Christian  workers.  There  are  4292  church 
members  and  409  baptisms  are  reported  during  the  past 
year.  The  Sunday  schools  number  216,  with  13,646  en- 
rolled. We  have  nineteen  students  in  the  theological 
seminary,  twenty-two  women  in  the  Bible  training  school, 
and  eighteen  in  the  kindergarten  training  school.  There 
are  1 1 5 boys  and  359  girls  in  high  schools,  420  boys  and 
thirty  girls  in  secondary  schools,  and  187  boys  and  584 
girls  in  primary  schools.  The  total  number  under  in- 
struction is  1768. 

V.  Weaknesses. 

The  weaknesses  in  our  Mission  have  most  of  them  been 
connected  with  the  failure  to  correlate  the  work  of  preach- 
ing with  that  of  education.  This  weakness  is  now  being 
removed.  It  was  due  to  the  mistaken  policy  of  Baptists 
in  many  fields,  setting  the  educational  and  evangelistic 
types  of  work  in  opposition,  and  neglecting  the  first.  Thus 
the  broad  seed  sowing  for  want  of  suitable  cultivation 
and  harvesting  fell,  much  of  it,  by  the  wayside.  The 
reason  for  the  numerical  weakness  of  Baptist  churches  in 
spite  of  our  devoted  and  able  missionaries  has  been  be- 
cause of  our  failure  to  nurture  and  train  in  our  Christian 
schools  Japanese  leaders,  capable  of  real  leadership.  A sharp 
realization  of  this  error  has  come  to  the  denomination  in 
all  its  mission  fields  and  steps  are  being  taken  to  repair  it. 

The  lack  of  suitable  buildings  has  been  another  fruitful 
source  of  weakness.  The  Presbyterian  policy  of  refusing 
to  organize  a church  unless  it  could  be  suitably  housed 
has  been  in  striking  contrast  to  the  Baptist  practice.  A 
church  meeting  in  a shabby  private  house,  rented  on  a 


5° 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


back  street  has  little  opportunity  of  attracting  the  atten- 
tion of  the  non-Christian,  and  little  likelihood  of  winning 
those  able  to  put  it  on  a self-supporting  basis. 

A third  weakness  has  been  the  failure  to  keep  the  Mission 
fully  manned.  Great  gaps  in  the  “thin  red  line  of  heroes” 
have  continually  weakened  the  force  of  the  mission. 

A fourth  weakness  has  been  the  separateness  and  in- 
dependence of  each  station  and  each  section  of  the  work. 
Baptists  are  now  fully  alive  to  the  fact  that  unrelated 
work  is  ineffective,  that  “spottiness”  on  the  home  field 
or  abroad,  is  costly  and  that  team  work  should  characterize 
Christian  effort  quite  as  strongly  as  it  does  athletics. 

A new  day  is  dawning.  The  mission  is  receiving  appro- 
priations in  gross,  and  expending  them  in  the  interests  of 
the  whole  work.  School  work  and  evangelistic  work  are 
being  tied  up  to  the  local  church;  converts  won  in  these 
splendid  schools  are  being  prepared  to  become  the  leaders 
of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Japan. 

VI.  Outstanding  Features. 

Certain  strong  pieces  of  work  begin  to  be  seen  in  which 
our  mission  has  an  opportunity  not  excelled  by  that  of  any 
Christian  body  in  Japan.  These  have  been  mentioned  by 
Rev.  Frederick  L.  Anderson  of  the  Newton  Theological 
Institution,  who  has  recently  visited  Japan  with  Secretary 
Franklin,  as  girls’  schools,  the  Fukuin  Maru , dormitory 
work  and  the  Tokyo  Tabernacle.  To  mention  these  is  not 
in  any  way  to  disparage  or  undervalue  the  steady  work  in 
all  the  churches  and  stations  of  the  mission,  but  simply 
to  call  attention  to  the  features  which  differentiate  our 
mission,  and  not  to  those  which  it  has  in  common  with  all 
other  well-conducted  missions. 


Our  Baptist  Task 


5i 


1.  Girls'  Schools.  The  Woman’s  Board  has  from  the 
beginning  thrown  its  strength  into  the  Christian  education 
of  girls,  and  by  concentration  has  done  a piece  of  work  of 
which  all  Baptists  may  be  proud.  There  are  modern  and 
well-equipped  buildings  at  Sendai,  Himeji,  Kanagawa  and 
Tokyo.  Three  of  the  schools  have  secured  the  coveted 
government  recognition.  All  of  them  are  centers  of 
character-building  and  evangelism.  There  were  fourteen 
•baptisms  last  year  in  Sendai  out  of  an  enrollment  of  ninety- 
five  pupils;  eight  in  Suruga  Dai  out  of  the  fifty-three  en- 
rolled; seventeen  in  Himeji  with  104  enrolled,  and  eleven  in 
Kanagawa  with  114  pupils.  Besides  these  fifty  added  to 
our  own  churches,  twelve  pupils  of  these  schools  have 
joined  churches  of  other  denominations.  The  spirit  of  the 
schools  is  such  that  even  the  girls  who  come  from  Buddhist 
homes  seldom  graduate  without  becoming  Christians.  The 
pupils  in  these  schools  conducted  Sunday  schools  in  which 
were  enrolled  more  pupils  than  we  have  church  members  in 
Japan.  As  many  as  fifteen  Sunday  schools  each  week  were 
conducted  by  the  young  women  in  attendance  on  one  of 
our  schools. 

Closely  connected  with  the  girls’  schools  are  the  train- 
ing schools  for  kindergartners  and  Bible  women  main- 
tained at  Tokyo  and  Osaka. 

The  Bible  training  school  graduated  seven.  One  from 
the  Liuchiu  Islands  has  gone  home  to  work  as  a missionary 
in  the  country  districts.  She  is  supported  by  three  Japan- 
ese teachers  in  the  training  school,  out  of  their  scanty 
salaries.  There  were  seven  graduates  from  the  kinder- 
garten training  school,  one  of  them  the  long-awaited 
teacher  for  the  Naha  Kindergarten  in  the  Liuchiu  Islands. 

2.  The  Fukuin  Maru.  The  gospel  ship  on  the  Inland 


52 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


Sea  is  a unique  feature  of  our  Baptist  mission.  The  Jap- 
anese name  for  the  gospel  ship  is  Fukuin  Maru  (pronounced 
Foo-koo-in  Mah-roo).  The  ship  was  a gift  to  us  of  Mr. 
R.  S.  Allan,  the  well-known  shipbuilder  of  Scotland. 

It  is  a memorial  to  his  mother,  who  had  realized  the 
spiritual  destitution  of  the  1,500,000  people  who  live  on 
the  hundreds  of  islands  dotting  the  Inland  Sea,  and  had 
given  generously  to  the  work  during  her  lifetime.  God 
gave  us  a great  sailor-evangelist,  Captain  Luke  Bickel, 
who  skilfully  navigated  the  white-winged  sailing  vessel 
among  the  dangerous  reefs,  and  now  commands  the  larger 
steam  yacht.  No  other  denomination  is  working  among 
these  people.  It  is  our  field.  In  sixteen  years  Captain 
Bickel  has  overcome  the  bitter  prejudice  and  active 
opposition  of  the  people  so  that  he  is  welcomed  to  land  on 
all  the  four  hundred  islands.  He  has  established  sixty- 
two  Sunday  schools  and  three  kindergartens  and  gathered 
a church  of  brave,  pioneer  believers  from  many  islands, 
which  numbers  214  members.  He  has  built  up  a band  of 
devoted  helpers  and  evangelists  who  are  patiently  and  with 
splendid  methods  sowing  all  the  islands  with  gospel  truth. 
The  story  of  Captain  Bickel’s  work  reads  like  fiction. 
What  might  he  accomplish  if  all  Baptist  Sundays  schools 
would  take  a twenty-five  dollar  share  in  his  work  so  that 
there  might  be  a fleet  of  ships,  and  a Sunday  school  on 
every  island.  Twenty-five  dollars  will  secure  a meeting 
place  for  a year. 

3.  The  Waseda  Dormitory.  In  Tokyo  there  is  a great 
university,  much  larger  than  Harvard,  in  which  our 
Baptist  mission  has  been  allowed  to  build  a student 
dormitory  where  Christian  teaching  may  be  freely  given. 
Here  Dr.  Benninghoff  is  having  an  opportunity  to  leaven 


Our  Baptist  Task 


53 


the  whole  student  body  with  a knowledge  of  Christianity. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  dormitory,  or  hostel  as  it  is  called, 
is  so  homelike  and  friendly,  the  religious  meetings  are  so 
appreciated  that  there  is  a long  waiting  list.  Leaders 
among  the  student  body  live  here,  some  have  openly  con- 
fessed Christ.  We  can  have  another  dormitory  and  a big 
meeting  place  for  Christian  meetings.  The  college  authori- 
ties are  friendly — Christian  teaching  is  welcome.  Ought 
we  not  to  enter  this  wide-open  door  in  a strong  way?  A 
hostel  is  self-supporting  except  for  the  salary  of  the  mis- 
sionary in  charge.  The  initial  outlay  is  all  that  is  needed 
to  place  many  Christian  outposts  among  the  five  hundred 
thousand  students  of  the  Empire  who  are  most  of  them 
cut  adrift  from  the  old  religions. 

Says  Dr.  Axling:  “As  far  as  my  experience  and  observa- 
tion go,  and  I have  covered  Japan  from  the  Hokkaido  to 
the  Liuchiu  Islands,  I know  of  no  opportunity  for  Christian 
work  more  pregnant  with  possibilities  and  promise  than 
is  offered  in  this  work  at  Waseda  University.  Twelve 
thousand  students!  a clear  field!  backed  by  the  hearty 
support  of  Count  Okuma,  President  Takata  and  the 
faculty!  Does  not  that  fire  the  imagination  and  fill  faith’s 
horizon  with  visions?” 

Another  form  of  dormitory  work,  that  among  business 
men,  has  been  carried  on  successfully  by  Dr.  Dearing  in 
Yokohama,  and  in  connection  with  the  night  school  has 
succeeded  in  bringing  Christianity  to  the  attention  of 
young  men  outside  the  influence  of  the  church. 

4.  The  Tokyo  Tabernacle.  A great  fire  destroyed  the 
first  building  in  which  Dr.  Axling  was  undertaking  to  build 
up  an  institutional  church  in  Tokyo.  It  seemed  a tragedy, 
but  it  was  God’s  way  of  making  a clearing.  The  new 


54 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


Tabernacle  is  the  first  reinforced  concrete  structure  in  the 
Orient.  It  is  the  best  church  plant  in  Japan,  and  a credit 
to  the  Christian  movement.  It  includes  a kindergarten, 
night  school  for  apprentices  and  business  men,  afternoon 
school  for  girls,  mothers’  meetings,  reading  room,  social 
rooms,  evangelistic  hall  and  roof  garden.  The  busy  hive 
is  humming  with  activity.  Standing  in  the  heart  of  the 
city  the  building  commands  the  attention  and  respect  of 
non-Christians.  The  dedication  exercises  were  notable: 
Press  Day,  Baptist  Day,  Community  Day,  Educational 
Day,  Evangelistic  Day.  Baron  Sakatani,  former  minister 
of  finance,  Hon.  S.  Shimada,  President  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Mayor  Okuda,  Governor  Inouye,  Dr. 
Takata,  Minister  of  Education,  were  among  the  speakers 
of  national  repute  who  gave  or  sent  congratulatory 
addresses.  Since  the  opening  thirty  men  have  already 
been  converted.  The  young  university  men  of  Dr.  Ben- 
ninghoff’s  dormitory  have  volunteered  to  teach  in  the 
night  classes  for  apprentices.  A Free  Legal  Advice  Bureau 
has  shown  the  working  men  that  Christianity  cares.  A 
playground  takes  children  off  the  streets.  During  a recent 
eight-day  preiod  twenty-five  hundred  people  were  brought 
within  the  circle  of  the  Tabernacle  activities. 

VII.  Pressing  Needs. 

i.  Duncan  Academy.  Our  one  boys’  school  is  to  be  re- 
organized with  a Japanese  principal,  proper  buildings  and 
a modern  course  of  study,  a big  step  toward  doing  our 
share  to  reach  the  boys.  It  is  not  generally  realized  that 
in  spite  of  the  many  splendid  government  schools,  the 
supply  is  still  far  below  the  demands,  and  that  thousands 
of  boys  for  lack  of  facilities  cannot  be  admitted.  For 


Our  Baptist  Task 


55 


example,  the  island  of  Shikoku,  with  a population  of  four 
million,  has  not  one  Christian  boys’  school.  Yet  in  Toku- 
shima, one  of  the  three  provinces  of  this  island,  over  one 
thousand  boys  are  refused  admission  every  year  at  the 
government  high  schools  owing  to  lack  of  accommodations. 
Where  are  the  American  Christians  keen  for  this  and 
other  good  openings  for  the  King’s  Business?  We  ought 
to  have  not  merely  the  enlarged,  properly  housed  Duncan 
Academy,  but  at  least  four  other  schools  equally  good. 
The  Southern  Presbyterians  are  planning  to  open  ten  new 
boys’  schools  in  their  portion  of  the  field.  Why  should 
Northern  Baptists  be  content  to  plan  for  one  ? 

2.  Theological  Seminary.  We  cannot  prosper  without 
strong,  earnest  pastors.  A poor  building,  poorly  located, 
“cast-off,  second-hand,  rented  school  building”  as  the 
report  calls  it,  is  no  proper  setting  for  the  seminary.  Some 
years  ago  a fine  site  commanding  a view  of  Mt.  Fuji  was 
bought,  but  the  site  remains  a grass  plot  still.  Yet  the 
spirit  of  the  school  is  good.  Dr.  Tenney  has  been  elected 
president,  Dr.  Kawaguchi  has  been  called  to  the  chair  of 
Systematic  Theology.  Pastor  Imai  has  been  called  to  a 
professorship  of  Evangelism.  An  evangelistic  hall  on  one 
of  the  busiest  streets  in  Tokyo  has  been  opened  and  here 
the  students  are  trained  in  evangelism  and  Sunday  school 
work.  We  must  give  them  that  building  on  the  better  site. 

3.  Church  Buildings.  It  is  largely  owing  to  inadequate 
housing  that  so  few  of  our  Baptist  churches  have  become 
self-supporting.  The  nine  Baptist  churches  in  Tokyo  and 
many  others  north,  east,  south,  west,  are  existing  in  little 
Japanese  apartments,  “one-room  front,”  that  puts  them 
in  the  same  rank  as  the  one-room  shop  kept  next  door 
by  the  wife  of  the  working  man  to  eke  out  the  family  in- 


56 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


come.  That  dingy  room  on  the  back  street  will  not  stay  the 
steps  of  a man  who  has  taken  his  family  out  on  a feast 
day  to  the  attractive  temple  grounds.  It  is  only  after 
conversion  that  he  will  enter  such  a place  to  worship. 
Mr.  Wynd,  one  of  our  evangelistic  missionaries,  says: 
“If  the  little  scattered  churches  throughout  the  city  of 
Tokyo  and  our  fields  in  general  could  only  be  equipped 
as  they  ought  to  be,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
the  work  of  Baptists  would  enter  upon  a new  phase.” 

That  new  phase  is  coming.  Arrangements  have  been 
made  for  a fund  which  will  be  lent  to  Japanese  Baptist 
churches  to  enable  them  to  build,  the  church  becoming 
their  property  as  soon  as  the  loan  is  repaid. 

4.  Enlargement.  This  is  the  greatest  need  of  all.  More 
men,  more  money,  more  prayer  in  order  that  we  may  do 
the  work  already  begun  with  adequate  equipment  and 
dare  to  attempt  more  and  better  work.  Look  up!  Con- 
sider the  field,  by  the  common  consent  of  the  other  Chris- 
tian missions,  left  to  the  Baptists  alone  to  cultivate! 

In  the  Morioka  field  there  are  fifteen  hundred  thousand 
people  who  belong  to  us  alone  to  evangelize.  We  have 
two  missionaries  and  their  wives — the  Steadmans  and 
Toppings,  three  churches,  a kindergarten,  fifteen  out- 
stations,  one  ordained  Japanese  preacher,  eight  unor- 
dained, six  women  workers,  four  hundred  and  sixteen 
church  members.  The  baptisms  numbered  sixty-one. 
Are  we  adequately  manning  this  field  ? 

Take  Sendai  as  another  example.  Here  we  have  nine 
hundred  thousand  people  for  whom  Baptists  are  solely 
responsible.  We  have  one  missionary  and  his  wife,  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  C.  H.  Ross,  and  two  unmarried  women,  Miss 
Buzzell  and  Miss  Jesse,  in  charge  of  the  girls’  school.  We 


Our  Baptist  Task 


57 


have  two  ordained  ministers,  five  unordained,  and  twelve 
women  workers.  There  are  five  organized  churches,  one 
entirely  self-supporting.  There  are  two  chapels,  634 
members,  fifty  baptisms  last  year. 

Let  us  compare  this  with  an  American  community  of 
the  same  size.  We  average  one  Protestant  minister  to 
every  five  hundred  of  the  population.  We  should  then, 
have  eighteen  hundred  ministers  besides  all  the  schools, 
Christian  homes,  libraries,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  other  agencies, 
and  the  diffused  knowledge  of  Christianity  imparted  through 
centuries  of  Christian  tradition.  If  we  do  not  feel  that  we 
have  too  many  ministers  and  Christian  agencies  in  America 
to  cope  with  the  forces  of  evil,  what  shall  we  say  of  Sendai 
field  with  its  three  ordained  ministers — one  a missionary — 
and  its  five  unordained  men? 

Turn  again  to  the  Inland  Sea  with  fifteen  hundred 
thousand  people  densely  ignorant  about  Christianity, 
and  for  centuries  prejudiced  against  the  hated  doctrine. 
We  are  the  only  Christian  witnesses,  yet  we  have  only  one 
missionary  to  oversee  four  hundred  islands  with  sixty-two 
preaching  places,  and  eleven  Japanese  helpers.  He  has  a 
scattered  church  numbering  214  members  who  added 
thirty-one  to  their  number  last  year.  Then  there  are  sixty- 
two  Sunday  schools  with  thirty-five  hundred  members. 
Are  we  sowing  bountifully  on  the  Inland  Sea? 

5.  Money  Contributions . If  we  turn  to  our  gifts  we  find 
that  the  Baptists  of  the  North  expend  each  year  in  Japan 
about  $130,000,  an  annual  contribution  averaging  about 
ten  cents  for  each  communicant.  Why,  the  Sunday  schools 
alone  could  do  that  easily  if  each  one  would  give  up  two 
moving-picture  shows  a year,  one  or  two  cigars,  or  an  ice- 
cream soda,  or  a little  bag  of  candy,  or  one  cheap  magazine 


58 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


or  any  of  the  hundred  little  luxuries  that  each  allows  him- 
self so  thoughtlessly.  If  each  one  would  do  it!  The  one- 
seventh  among  Baptist  women  who  give  at  all  to  carry 
the  Gospel  to  the  non-Christian  lands  give  their  work  in 
Japan  about  $44,000  annually.  That  means  that  each 
hour  it  costs  $5.23.  But  do  you  know  any  $5.23  that  ac- 
complishes so  much?  Think  of  carrying  on  four  boarding 
schools  with  368  pupils,  paying  the  salary  of  eighteen 
missionaries,  carrying  on  eleven  kindergartens  and  Bible 
training  schools,  paying  thirteen  Bible  women,  and  running 
sixty-nine  Sunday  schools  for  an  hour  for  only  $5.23. 
There  is  many  an  organized  woman’s  Bible  class  that 
could  contribute  all  that  it  costs  to  run  all  this  blessed 
woman’s  work  in  Japan  for  one  whole  day,  $125.52. 

Twenty-five  dollars  will  pay  the  rental  of  one  of  the 
rooms  used  for  the  smaller  Sunday  schools  for  a year. 

Twenty-five  dollars  will  take  a share  in  kindergarten, 
gospel  ship,  or  dormitory. 

Ten  dollar  and  twenty-five  dollar  shares  in  our  splendid 
Japanese  work  are  offered  to  Sunday  schools.  Each  school 
taking  either  one  of  these  shares  will  be  entitled  to  a cer- 
tificate of  stock  for  the  amount  taken. 

Shall  we  not  pray  that  Baptist  Sunday  schools  may  take 
up  every  share  of  the  $50,000  needed  to  insure  the  whole 
amount  not  now  pledged  to  carry  on  our  work  in  Japan  ? 

A Challenge. 

“The  impact  of  the  Gospel  upon  Japan  has  led  multi- 
tudes of  the  people  to  break  with  their  past  religious  ideas 
and  ideals.  With  their  backs  to  the  idols  and  temples  and 
with  their  faces  toward  the  sunrise  they  stand  with  their 
hearts  and  minds  open  to  the  light,  ‘the  Light  that  lighteth 


Our  Baptist  Task 


59 


every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world.’  Hungry-hearted 
and  conscious  of  a great  famine  in  their  souls  they  are 
casting  about  for  a haven  in  which  to  anchor  their  faith. 

“The  five  hundred  thousand  students  of  the  Empire 
almost  to  a man  have  broken  with  the  old  creeds  and 
stand  hesitating  between  Christ  and  agnosticism.  The 
pupils  in  the  primary  and  secondary  schools  of  the  Empire, 
six  million  strong,  will  also  soon  be  ready  for  a new  order. 
In  1915  there  were  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand 
Christians  among  Japan’s  sixty  million  people.  To  give  the 
Gospel  to  this  unevangelized  host  there  was  one  missionary 
to  every  forty-six  thousand  and  one  Japanese  worker  to 
every  thirty-eight  thousand.  Of  temples  and  shrines 
there  were  four  hundred  and  ninety-five  thousand.  Of 
churches  and  preaching  places  there  were  only  1,860. 

“In  the  Orient  Japan  stands  in  the  position  of  leader- 
ship. That  leadership  she  is  making  potent  and  powerful. 
As  goes  Japan,  so  in  a large  measure  goes  the  Orient. 
Japan  for  Christ  means  the  Orient  for  Christ.  Japan 
against  Christ  means  the  Orient  with  its  teeming  millions 
with  their  backs  to  the  Christ.  The  challenge  that  comes 
ringing  across  eight  thousand  miles  of  sea  and  land  is  that 
the  Church  in  America  shall  do  everything  possible  to  win 
this  land  for  Christ.  How  are  we  going  to  answer  this 
challenge?” — William  Axling. 


6o 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


Questions  for  Class  Use 

1.  What  first  things  are  associated  with  Jonathan 
Goble? 

2.  Outline  the  remarkable  facts  in  the  life  of  Rev. 
Nathan  Brown. 

3.  Name  the  two  first  women  missionaries  sent  to 
Japan  by  the  W.  B.  F.  M.  S. 

4.  What  lines  of  work  have  developed  in  the  Baptist 
mission  in  Japan? 

5.  In  what  way  do  our  schools  promote  evangelism? 

6.  What  weaknesses  developed  in  our  Japanese  work? 

7.  In  what  way  may  a “religious  democracy”  like  the 
Baptist  church  avoid  such  weaknesses  in  its  work  at  home 
and  abroad  without  the  sacrifice  of  its  foundation  prin- 
ciples? 

8.  What  are  the  outstanding  and  encouraging  features 
in  our  Japan  mission  at  the  present  time? 

9.  Why  is  the  education  of  women  peculiarly  em- 
phasized in  Japan? 

10.  What  policy  ought  the  Baptists  to  pursue  regarding 
the  Inland  Sea? 

11.  Mention  the  strategic  advantages  of  Christian 
dormitories  for  men. 

12.  In  what  ways  does  the  Tabernacle  serve  as  a sign 
post  for  Christianity? 

13.  What  can  this  class  do  to  help  evangelize  Japan  ? 


Our  Baptist  Task 


6i 


BRIEF  BOOK  LIST 
Ernest  W.  Clement: 

(1)  Handbook  of  Modern  Japan 

(2)  Christianity  in  Modern  Japan 

Brief,  readable,  authoritative 

R.  B.  Peery: 

The  Gist  of  Japan  Condensed , valuable 

J.  A.  B.  Scherer: 

Japan  Today 

Young  Japan  Readable  and  reliable 

F.  E.  Hagin: 

The  Cross  in  Japan 

A Stirring  presentation,  well  written,  intensely  interest- 
ing, a splendid  book. 

Clement-Hildreth  : 

Japan  as  It  Was  and  Is  [2  vols.] 

A revision  by  Prof.  Clement  of  a fascinating  old  classic 
giving  the  history  of  Japan  s intercourse  with  Europe. 

G.  H.  Moule: 

The  Spirit  of  Japan 

Fine  account  of  Japanese  religions , introduction  of 
Christianity  and  study  of  present  problems. 

Belle  Brain: 

All  About  Japan 

Delightful  chapters  for  younger  readers.  Good  account 
of  Neesima  and  Verbeck. 

Sydney  Gulick: 

The  Working  Women  of  Japan 

Informing  study  of  present-day  conditions 
America  and  the  Orient 

A Constructive  Policy,  25c.  Very  valuable  and  timely 


62 


Our  Neighbor  Japan 


Margaret  Burton: 

Education  of  Women  in  Japan 

Invaluable  for  li%ht  on  the  chan%in%  status  of  Japanese 
women. 

Herbert  Moore: 

Half  Hours  in  Japan 

An  illustrated  description  o*  daily  life , customs , schools , 
etc.  ( Cassell  Co.y  N.  Y.). 

Periodical  and  Pamphlet  Helps 

Gleanings:  Published  bi-monthly  by  our  Baptist  Mission 
in  Japan.  Subscription  25c.  a year.  Single  copies  5c. 
Subscribe  through  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission 
Society,  Ford  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 

Missions:  Monthly.  Special  emphasis  on  Japan  during 
foreign-mission  period  in  the  Sunday  school. 

Baptist  Teacher:  Monthly.  Illustrative  material  on  Japan 
during  Sunday-school  period. 

Missionary  Review  of  the  World:  Monthly  ($2.50). 

World  Outlook:  Monthly  ($1.50).  Has  superb  pictorial 
numbers. 

Christian  Movement  in  Japan:  An  annual  survey,  inval- 
uable, enlightening.  May  be  ordered  each  year  through 
Department  of  Missionary  Education,  John  M.  Moore, 
D.D.,  23  East  26th  Street,  New  York  City. 

Pamphlets  on  Japan  may  be  ordered  from  American 
Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society,  Ford  Building,  Boston, 
Mass.,  or  from  Woman’s  American  Baptist  Foreign 
Mission  Society,  450  E.  30th  St.,  Chicago,  111. 


45— 5M— 12-15-1916 


